Hear No Evil
by Sweet Little Mary Sue
Summary: Bane was a survivor, he'd proven that numerous times throughout his life, but this might be one time that he'll wish he'd succumbed to his injuries. He's a broken man, even more so now than he was before, and there's one who wishes to fix him, for his own nefarious purposes, and one who wishes to protect him...Bane/OC.
1. Talking Without Speaking

Hear No Evil

Sweet Little Mary Sue

Synopsis: Bane was a survivor, he'd proven that numerous times throughout his life, but this might be one time that he'll wish he'd succumbed to his injuries. He's a broken man, even more so now than he was before, and there's one who wishes to fix him, for his own nefarious purposes, and one who wishes to protect him, simply because he was placed in her care, but who will prove triumphant in the end?

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Batman universe, but I have invited some of the characters over for a play date. I was smitten with Bane (as well as Tom Hardy) before I watched _The Dark Knight Rises_, but fell completely head-over-heels while I watched him command the screen, and hope that I do his character justice in this story. That being said, I fully claim Malayna as belonging to me, along with any and all that she brings into the story with her.

A Note from the Author: For those who know me, and my stories, you are aware of the fact that I have a tendency to take guys who are bad and attempt to soften them up just a little bit, and I will more than likely do this with Bane as well. This is a warning that you'd do best not to proceed with this story if this sort of thing bothers and/or offends you. However, if you don't mind, or, you're simply curious, please enjoy…just don't send me hateful, soul-crushing criticism afterward, if you please, considering the fact that I did take the time to warn you.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: This story is rated M for violence, mild to moderate cursing, and a variety of citrus smuttiness.

Chapter One

Talking Without Speaking

Malayna's POV

There are times that I believe it is a blessing to be deaf, not many, mind you, but when I see people arguing, their faces mottled and livid, I am thankful that I don't have to hear their angry, hateful words. When I see a child crying, looking as though their heart is being torn in two, I am grateful that I can't hear their wails, because the sight of their tears is painful enough. I can remove myself from the sorrow in the world if I want to, because I can't hear it. I can choose what I see and what I don't see, but I remember enough of my time before I lost my hearing to know that those around me who aren't exactly like me have no choice in what they hear and what they don't hear.

This will not be my first time working with my newest patient, but I am just as nervous as I was on my first day with him, more so, even, because I know that they mean to wake him up, and I'm not certain that I'm ready to see his eyes open just yet. It's not that I don't want him to wake up, his care is in my hands, and his awakening will signify a step forward in his recovery…I'm just afraid of what I will see in his eyes when they open, knowing, as I do, what sort of man he was…what sort of man he _is_.

My hands were trembling as I neared his room, the one with the door flanked by not one police officer, but two, both of whom looked as though they ate nails for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My heart was racing, and I could feel the beginnings of a cold sweat breaking out all over my body as I showed the officers my identification and nodded dumbly to whatever they said, too preoccupied with the task at hand, the one that involved me _not_ fainting to read their lips…I just hoped that I hadn't agreed to anything that I would come to regret.

Dr. Westin was standing at the foot of the patient's bed, perusing the contents of his chart, emanating the same pompous air that he always did, and Minda Pryor, the RN in charge of the wing housing the single most dangerous man in all of Gotham City, simpered and flirted by his side, just as she always did whenever the good doctor was nearby. Both of them ignored me, just as I'd hoped, and expected, they would, and I made my way inside and took a deep breath as quietly as possible as I slowly approached my patient.

I made myself look busy until the others had left the room, and then I made my way to the window, closing the shades so that the room was bathed mostly in darkness. He hadn't wakened during his stay, at least, he hadn't when I was on duty, but I'd noticed that he seemed to rest easier when the room was dark, and I was quick to rectify the situation whenever my shift began. Once that was done I checked his vitals, despite the fact that Minda had already done so, and once that was accomplished I made my way to the tray that rested on the tabletop opposite of his bed, to prep to change his bandages and his catheter.

I'd already tried to calm myself, but despite my best efforts my hands continued to shake, which made the tray move around on the tabletop, and I could only imagine the sounds that it was making. It was a good thing for me that he was asleep, and wouldn't notice my fumbling, otherwise he might fear the fact that his life was in my hands, though he had a lot less to worry about while he was with me, as opposed to the others. He was over a year into his treatment, an anniversary that had marked my assignment as one of his nurses, and it was no secret that the others, both nurses and doctors, weren't all that concerned about whether he lived or died…they only did what they did for the huge paycheck that they received to keep him alive.

I ought to have been ashamed with myself, because I knew that a good deal of my nervousness around my patient was due to the fact that he fascinated me. I ought to have been filled with mortification because I knew that I responded to him in a way that I had no business even thinking about. I was aware of him in ways that I'd never known with another man, I'd memorized every last inch of him, from top to bottom. I knew his smell, I knew the feel of his hands, and his arms, the muscles that had once been defined, but which had recently grown atrophied from all of the time that had passed with him lying immobile in his bed. These were the things that made me nervous when I was in his presence, not because of fear of him, but because of fear of myself, and all that I thought and felt whenever I was close to him.

His face was still covered for the most part by a mask, not the menacing metal mask that he'd worn while he terrorized Gotham City, but the plastic sort, which pumped oxygen into his lungs on a steady basis. His pain medication was administered to him intravenously now, a ceaseless stream that flowed into his body, along with a constant supply of saline, to keep him hydrated, but there were times when I wondered if the medication truly kept his pain at bay, or if it merely took the edge off, particularly when he seemed restless and agitated, and thrashed his head back and forth on a sweat soaked pillow.

Today he was calm, I'd noticed that the moment that I'd walked through the door, and I found myself envying his serenity. I wished that I could be half that calm, at the very least, and continued to take deep breaths as I moved away from the table for a moment, washing my hands and slipping on a pair of sterile white gloves before I opened packages and readied my supplies, reminding myself the entire time that I was a professional, that his wellbeing was in my hands, and he deserved someone who could do her job to the best of her abilities, not a nervous, shaking ninny who was nursing a crush on one of the most dangerous men in existence.

"_This wouldn't have happened to you if you had a man in your life_."

The voice in my head, which sounded eerily and uncannily like my dearly departed Granny had an annoying habit of offering up sage bits of advice when I least wanted them, and his time was no different, though I couldn't help but see the logic in that line of thinking. Maybe if I'd found someone to share my life with I wouldn't have been so susceptible to the charms of a terrorist, but then I remembered that Bane had yet to awaken, at least in my presence, so he hadn't even tried to charm me, and it was doubtful that he ever would. I told Granny that she ought to keep her opinions to herself, which sounded good, though I suspected that I would miss the sound of her voice, which I remembered clear as day, despite the fact that I hadn't heard it in twenty years, if it were to suddenly leave my consciousness.

"_I nag because I worry, sweetheart_," Granny said softly, and I smiled, grateful that she'd decided to stay, knowing, as she always did, that I needed her with me, no matter what I said. "_You have to be careful. A storm's coming, sweetheart, one that is unlike any you've seen before, one whose origin is wrapped up in that man laying behind you. Heed the warnings, Malayna…trust what you know, not what you see…You have to promise me that you'll be safe, sweetheart. I lost your Momma and your Papa…I couldn't bear it if I were to lose you too_."

I might have pointed out to Granny that she _had_ already lost me, because she was dead and I was alive, but I didn't. I reasoned that it was one thing to hear those who'd passed on from this world, but it was another barrel of monkey's altogether to converse with them. I had enough problems to contend with as it was without my sanity being questioned…though I suppose it was highly unlikely that anyone would ever find out, since my conversations with Granny always took place inside my head…..

I felt the box of tissues that rested beside Bane's bed graze ever so lightly across the top of my head before it crashed against the wall and slid down to rest atop the supplies that I'd taken so much time to straighten and organize. I knew that I was alone in the room with him, because I could see the door that led out into the hallway from the corner of my eye, which left only one available culprit…it would seem that my patient had awakened all on his own, and with a frantically beating heart I turned to look at him, and felt myself stagger beneath the intensity of his gaze.

It would seem that Granny had been right when she predicted that storm, when she foresaw that he would be the source of the tempest, I just had to wonder if she had seen what my reaction to the danger that now faced me would be…because I had an overwhelming feeling that I was on the path of doing what I oughtn't, of choosing to trust what I saw, rather than what I knew, and the scariest thing of all was that I chose to take that first step anyway.

Bane's POV

The doctor and the nurse converse with one another at the foot of my bed, but despite the fact that he holds my chart in his hands, while she changes the spent bag of saline for one that is full; their discussion has nothing whatsoever to do with me. They speak of the things that they wish to do to one another, or, rather, what she wishes to do to him, in a cheap and sordid motel room, while his oblivious wife loses herself in a haze brought about by a strong dose of pain killers, antidepressants and sleeping pills, paying no mind to the fact that her husband is not at home, nor to the trio of children who've grown accustomed to fending for themselves, simply because their parents don't care about whether they live or die.

Well…perhaps I made a bit of that up inside my head. It's a thing that I find myself doing more and more of late, while I'm lying in my bed, feigning sleep while the pain throughout my body drives me to the brink of insanity. It is true that the nurse propositioned the doctor, something that she did frequently, I would imagine, but I have no idea whether their affair takes place in a cheap and sordid motel room. Perhaps he means to take her in the spacious backseat of the luxury sedan that he drives, or maybe he'll go back to her domicile. As for his wife and children, I simply made them up, because though I know that the good doctor is indeed married, I have no idea what sort of woman his wife is, nor do I know anything of their children, if they even have any children.

They take their leave as the quiet one arrives, and I allow myself to relax somewhat, despite the pain and misery, because I know that this one is different from the others. They don't show any sort of care or compassion in their work to make me whole, perhaps because they see me as a subhuman creature, and they don't care whether I'm ever complete again…or maybe they simply don't care, period. I don't know the exact source of their contempt toward me; I have several speculations, but no absolute truths. All that I know for certain is that she's different…she actually seems to care whether I live or die, and that is very perplexing to me.

She always closes the blinds, sparing me the glare of the sunlight, and I am grateful to her for that small consideration. She is also gentle when she touches me, she seems to be bothered by any signs that I am in severe pain or distress. I have come to depend on her kindnesses, which is to be expected, I suppose, but what's disturbing to me is the fact that I've begun enjoying them, on a more physical level, and the touch of her hand has become somewhat dangerous for me, in regard to my self-control.

I couldn't say for certain when I'd truly taken notice of her, beyond the general impressions of a petite woman with dark hair and eyes who had small, soft hands that were capable of so much gentleness. If I think about it very hard, I believe that I can pinpoint it to the hints of perfume that always wafted around her, a musky, yet floral scent, that was pleasant, when it ought to have been noxious and overpowering, like the perfume worn by the other nurse, the adulterous one. That was what caught my attention first, I'm certain of that, but that wasn't all that I took notice of.

Next it was her hands, and how they felt on my skin, and my body amazingly began to react, despite my pain, and I worried and wondered how I would hide my condition from her, once the time arrived for my bandages and my catheter to be changed. She was certain to notice the transformation that came over me, and all that I could hope for was that she would assume that my reaction to her was an involuntary one.

I cautiously opened one of my eyes and found her straightening her supplies on a table opposite from my bed, with her back turned to me. Her long, dark hair was drawn back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a colorful smock, one that was adorned with flowers in a variety of blues, which ought to have been ghastly, but which suited her perfectly. Most people would have hummed to themselves while they went about the sort of task that she was performing, or possibly even talked to themselves, but she was quiet, as always, and I found myself wondering what her voice sounded like, a curiosity that plagued me, until I was encouraged to speak to her, even as I knew that I oughtn't.

"I believe that the time for my pain relief has come and gone," I said, wincing when I heard the creaky, scratchiness of my long dormant voice, thinking it soft and weak without my mask. "Would you please rectify that for me, my dear?"

No response.

It was almost as though I hadn't even made the effort to speak, and her disregard stung a good deal more than it ought to. I was accustomed to the indifference of the others, it was what I had come to expect, but she was supposed to be different. Of course, I knew that she didn't have the authority to administer my medication anyway, but that wasn't the point. The point was that I wanted her to speak to me; I wanted _her_ to be the first one that I communicated with, not that damned lothario doctor or his paramour nurse, but her, the little mouse.

"I need my dose of pain relief," I said, striving for a tone that was a bit louder, giving her the benefit of the doubt that she hadn't heard my rasping voice the first time around. "Could you arrange that for me, please?"

No response.

I was beginning to feel a bit cross with the little mouse. I could understand, and appreciate her ability to be quiet, but there were times when silence was golden, and then there were times like this one, when to remain uncommunicative could, and would be construed as being impolite. I wasn't in the habit of being ignored, and the fact that she was blatantly doing so both annoyed and disappointed me. I was already in a mood that could be called stormy, at best, and I told myself that was the reason that I behaved so childishly, because I honestly didn't want to examine any reasons that might have existed beyond that, no matter how accurate they may have been.

I moved to take hold of the box of tissues resting beside my bed, ignoring my screaming muscles as I drew back my arm and tossed the box at her, intending to throw it well above her, which meant that I winced somewhat as I watched it caress the top of her head before it smacked against the wall, and then I laid back against my pillows and waited for the furor to begin, thinking to myself, just a little belatedly, that my choice for getting her attention might have been a foolish one.

She'd jumped when the box brushed over the top of her head, an action that she repeated when it smacked against, and then bounced off of the wall, hitting the table in front of her and sending her supplies tumbling this way and that. She seemed to take a deep breath, and then she turned to look at me, and I felt myself stagger somewhat from the jumble of emotions in her eyes. There was fear, as well as anger, but also confusion, which I hadn't expected and therefore caught me off-guard.

She turned and retrieved the box of tissues, then slowly made her way to my bedside, visibly shaking, but resolute none the less. I could see that it made her nervous to be so close to me, now that I was awake and watching her, but she valiantly made her move and returned the box to its rightful place, then stopped at my side and raised one eyebrow, cocking her head to the side as if to ask me a question, and that was when I had an epiphany, a painfully embarrassing one at that.

"You couldn't hear me, could you?" I asked slowly, pulling down my oxygen mask so that she could see my mouth form each word. "That was why you didn't answer me, wasn't it, and not because you were simply ignoring me?"

Her bewildered look didn't fade completely, but she nodded her head in agreement, then raised her eyebrow and cocked her head once more, and though I was usually fairly quick on the draw, it took me a moment to realize that her movements were her way of asking me about my previous query, the one that I'd assumed she'd ignored out of spite, despite her previous kindnesses, which showed a wealth of stupidity on my part, I had to say.

"I told you that my pain medication was overdue," I said, careful to keep my words slow and clearly formed. "I asked if you would please see about procuring the dose for me, that is, if you would ask the one in charge to bring it to me, please."

She would have been well within her rights to tell me no, I wouldn't have blamed her for that answer, but instead she nodded, and started to turn, to head toward the door, but was stopped when I reached out and took hold of her hand in mine, pulling her back toward the bed. There were sounds in the hallway, of gunshots and commotion, far away at first, then gradually moving closer, which she, of course, couldn't hear. I wasn't certain what, or rather, who was coming toward us, but I knew that she was safer where she was at that moment, no matter how scared she may have been of me, than she was outside of my room…at least that was what I thought until the door burst open and a man garbed all in white entered, surrounded on all sides by men who were armed to the teeth.

"Good afternoon," he said, in a voice that was a mixture of menacing geniality and wispy sarcasm that immediately set my teeth on edge. "It is good to see that you are awake, Bane. I hope that you are ready to go back to work, for there is much that needs to be done and little time to do it in."

His smile was just as blindingly white as his clothing, but it died in an instant when he spotted the little mouse. "Get rid of her," he snapped, his voice losing all its hints of geniality. "Put her with the others and get Mr. Bane ready to travel."

I was in no shape whatsoever to come to her aid, but I knew that I couldn't stand by and watch while she was dragged away to a certain death. In the end I was spared any feelings of helplessness where she was concerned as she moved to stand in front of me, holding out her hands on both sides of her body, as if to protect _me_, filling me with both shock and indignation.

I was touched that she wished to defend me, it proved that she cared, but the idea that a bitty mouse would fight my battles for me was too much for my pride to take at that fragile moment, and I strove to rise from the bed, an action that proved futile as every muscle in my body screamed out in agony and I fell back against the mattress, gasping for breath.

"Don't hurt her," I said, hating the pleading that I heard in my voice when I would have hoped to sound commanding. "She comes with me, or I don't come at all."

It was no doubt the utmost of temerity, to be making demands of any sort when one was facing down a room filled with heavily armed men, but there wasn't much that could be lost at that point, considering all that had been taken away from me, and surprisingly enough the man in white smiled, and nodded his head at me before turning back to address his men.

"Bring the girl, she might prove useful," he said, snapping them into action. "And if she doesn't, Mr. Bane, I will follow through on my first order…are we clear on that?"

I understood him perfectly…and relished the possibility of correcting him if, or, rather _when_ he tried.


	2. Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Chapter Two

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Bane's POV

I had no clue about the identity of the man in white, the one who had plucked me and the little mouse from the sterile and cold surroundings that had been my home for over a year, but I had to say that he was not making as good of an impression as one should when they were intent upon acquiring a new employee. I would have preferred a little comfort while we traveled, after a lifetime of discomfort a little luxury would have been nice, so needless to say it came as somewhat of an unpleasant surprise to find myself strapped to a gurney, bouncing and bumping along a road that felt as if it was made of nothing but jarring potholes, while my thoughtful little caregiver sought to keep me as contented as one could possibly be in conditions such as the ones we had been subjected to.

The man with the alarmingly brilliant smile had injected a substantial amount of painkiller into my IV before we left, but our journey had been quite lengthy, in addition to arduous, and I could feel the first stabs of agony, those that had been kept only partially at bay by the dose of Dilaudid, making themselves known throughout my battered, broken body with a ferocity that had me groaning beneath my breath.

I tried to take my mind off of the pain, concentrating instead on the fact that it was dark in the back of the vehicle that we were traveling in, blessedly, calmingly black all around me, shadows that pressed against eyes that I refused to close. I had slept so long already, in my body, my mind and my spirit, and I was determined to stay awake as much as possible, for as long as possible, if only the torment of my body would leave me be so that I might develop a thought that was not mired by the constant companion of suffering, but perhaps I was asking for too much.

The little mouse was sitting beside me; one hand was gripping the side of my gurney, the other was, well, I was not certain what that hand was doing because it was much too dark for me to see her clearly. I knew that she was afraid; I could hear the quick gasps working in and out of her lungs as they escaped up her throat, through teeth that sounded as if they were tightly clenched together, and I wondered what had frightened her so badly. I knew that she felt apprehensive around me, but surely not enough to affect her in this way, not when she had never shown such blatant signs of fear before.

"You will hyperventilate if you continue in this way, my dear," I said quietly. "It seems that we are in for a long journey, so let us we pass some of the time with a little conversation instead, beginning with what it is that has you so frightened."

No response.

I felt like a fool in that instant, belatedly remembering that she couldn't hear me, that she was deaf, and after I had thoroughly chastised myself for my idiocy, I risked touching her, finding her hand, the one that was gripping the gurney with my own, wincing when she gasped and seemed to jump straight into the air…though she did not pull her hand away from mine, which, I suppose, was a good sign, one which suggested that I was not the source of her fear, at least, that I initially was not, though I had more than likely had just added myself to the list of things that scared her, if I were to hazard a guess.

Her hand felt tiny in my own, small, cold and clammy, and I squeezed her fingers gently with mine, in a manner that I hoped was comforting to her while I pondered how on earth I was going to communicate with her. It was too dark for her to read my lips, and tracing out what I meant to say on her palm would be a lengthy and no doubt confusing way for us to conduct our conversation. I found myself cursing the blackness that I had praised only moments before when suddenly it was pierced by a thin ray of illumination, from a small flashlight that was gripped tightly in the hand of my own personal Nightingale.

"Clever girl," I said, pleased to see the soft smile that curved her lips in answer to my compliment. "Why did you keep this source of illumination a secret up until now? We could have been having a wonderful conversation to pass the time if I would have known that you had that flashlight in your possession, my dear."

She smiled again, then looked away from me for a moment, and it dawned on me that she was shy, a trait that I found surprisingly endearing. After a moment passed by in silence she returned her eyes to my face and began to speak, in a fashion all her own, that is.

_I know that you are in a great deal of pain_, she said, moving her lips slowly to form each word, curling her thumb, unconsciously, I would wager, against the fading callouses that still covered my palm. _The darkness soothes you somewhat, and I would much rather know that you are as comfortable as you can possibly be, even if it necessitates sitting silently in the dark._

I was right about her, having recognized her kindness and compassion in that hellish hospital. I knew that she would continue to care for me, to safeguard my recuperation against those who might intend to hinder me, but the question still remained about her obvious fear, and though it might have been better to leave the subject untouched, I could not help but feel bolstered by my curiosity to pry a little.

"Thank you for thinking of me, my dear," I said, boldly running my thumb in a circle around hers, drawing yet another flush to her cheeks, this one pinker, and even more becoming than the first. "Though I suspect that the glow might have proved useful in chasing away whatever fear has come over you, or is your terror one that cannot be conquered by the presence of a paltry beam of light?"

She started to answer me, to explain herself, but a stabbing pain coursing its way through my body distracted me, caught me off-guard, so much so that I moaned before I could stop myself, and though I knew that the little mouse could not hear my guttural groans, she could see the look of agony that had just overtaken my face, and the change in her, from one who was meek and quiet to one who was boldly in control, was instantaneous.

She swung her flashlight 'round to the side of the trailer that was housing us as we were conveyed to destinations unknown, revealing a wall of cabinets that I had not noticed, and gingerly stood, fighting for her balance as she searched through drawer after drawer until she came upon what she was looking for. She took the time to wash her hands at a makeshift basin beside the cabinets, showing attention to detail and sanitary precaution that I appreciated before covering her small hands with white rubber gloves, and then she turned to look at me once more, with worry clear in her eyes, battling with a hint of resolute determination that endeared her even further to me.

_They have laid in a supply of Dilaudid, which I am qualified and prepared to administer to you, if you wish for me to do so_, she said, wincing when she saw me grimace as another excruciating jolt of pain rocketed its way through my body. _That is, if you trust me enough to allow me to care for you, sir_…..

"I know of no reason why the two of us should stand on ceremony, my dear," I said, hoping that she was capable of following my words, given that I was speaking through teeth which were tightly clenched. "That being said, you should address me simply as Bane, and know that I have no doubts or fears in regard to your expertise in these matters and fully trust that you will do everything in your power to ensure that I receive the finest care that I possibly can in conditions that could be called rudimentary, at best."

She smiled and nodded, then turned to collect her supplies, approaching me slowly afterward, with only the barest hint of trepidation still evident in her steps. _First I'm going to flush the IV line with saline_, she explained, gently grasping the catheter that had been placed in my neck at some point, to ease the administration of my prescriptions, as well as to give the medical professionals a handy spot from which to draw blood whenever they deemed that it was necessary that they do so. _Your mouth will fill with an odd taste, the best way that I can describe it is to say that it will taste the way that rubbing alcohol smells, if that makes any sense at all._

It did not make much sense to me at all until she injected the saline into my catheter, and a strange taste flooded my mouth, one that was indeed reminiscent of the way that rubbing alcohol smelled, and then she flooded my veins with the drug that worked surprisingly well at keeping my pain at bay, not banishing it altogether, of course, but making it tolerable, enough so that I could get some much needed sleep.

_Rest now, Bane_, she said, reaching down to pat my hand before she rearranged my covers, tucking me in as a floating, blissful feeling took hold of me and encouraged me to close my eyes, an action that I fought, so that I might ask her one last question before I drifted off to sleep.

"You have an advantage over me," I said, embarrassed to hear that my words were slurred just a bit, which I knew was ridiculous, considering that she couldn't hear my voice. "You know my name, but I don't know yours. It doesn't seem quite fair to me, to know that you hold the upper hand, my dear."

She smiled at me and moved her hand to my forehead, brushing back the hair that had grown long while I convalesced. Her lips moved, forming a name that I missed altogether, and though it made me feel foolish to ask her to repeat herself, I did so none the less, because I was bound and determined to learn her name before I allowed myself to sleep.

If she thought that I was foolish, or possibly a little slow-witted for missing her name the first time around, she did a wonderful job of keeping her criticisms to herself…though she did exaggerate each syllable very precisely, and very slowly, which I suspected might have been a bit of teasing on her part, a notion that she verified with the twinkling that I could see in her eyes.

_Muh-lay-nuh_, she enunciated, and I noticed, for the first time, that her lips were full, pouty almost, and they made me feel things that I had not experienced in a long while, lascivious feelings, ones which I had no business whatsoever entertaining, but ones which I considered none the less, and I wondered at my obliviousness up until that point, if I was just noticing how wonderfully kissable her mouth seemed to be.

"Spell it for me, please," I asked, wanting to see it properly, to ensure that I had it right, so that I would not make a mistake when I imagined it as I looked at her, as I spoke to her, and later, as I thought of her.

_M-a-l-a-y-n-a_, she said, continuing to brush my hair back as she spoke, her fingers feeling almost hypnotically good as they smoothed over my scalp. _Now close your eyes and get some sleep. There'll be plenty of time to talk later, once you've rested._

I imagined that she enjoyed telling me what to do; I suspected that she was a bossy little mouse, in her heart, but I did not mind very much. If the truth were to be known, I rather enjoyed her authoritative nature, because it showed that she cared, though, I supposed, I might not find it nearly as endearing if I was not under the influence of a potent opioid.

"Malayna," I murmured, my eyelids growing increasingly heavy, until finally I had to give in to the urge to close them. "What a lovely…lovely…name."

Malayna's POV

Oh, man…this was bad.

It was my duty to be a caring and compassionate caregiver, one who earned the trust of my patient, who provided them with emotional support while they healed, but that trust and support was never supposed to cross the line from the basic care that all people were entitled to into something more. I was supposed to be thoughtful and empathetic, but I wasn't supposed to befriend my patients, and I was never, _ever_ supposed to develop, let alone act upon a physical attraction, but that was exactly what I was doing at that moment, as I watched him sleep.

I couldn't pinpoint the exact instant that I had noticed that he was an attractive man, it had been happening so gradually that I hadn't even acknowledged the truth until recently. In the hospital I'd observed him as intimately as a woman could a man, I'd done things to him that would no doubt embarrass him, if he could remember them, but it wasn't until that moment, traveling with him, sitting at his side while he slept, that I took the time to truly see him, and realized that he was a very handsome man.

I could still see him in my mind's eye the way that he'd looked while he terrorized Gotham, with a mask covering his face, leaving him only his eyes to communicate with, eyes that were intense and arresting. In the hospital his oxygen mask had covered less, but it had guarded his features none the less, and now I could see all of him, in between the times that I deemed it necessary that he receive a little help with his breathing, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't keep myself from staring at his mouth.

When I first caught myself in the act I did my best to lie, to say that my gawking had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that he had the most beautiful, most kissable lips that I'd ever seen on a man. I told myself that I was ogling his mouth because he was one of the few people who'd taken the time and showed the patience necessary to communicate with me, and allow me to converse with them, but then I realized that mere appreciation wouldn't fixate itself on a gorgeous set of lips, and it damn sure wouldn't make me feel topsy-turvy all throughout my body, which meant that I was lying to myself and avoiding the truth of the matter, the fact that I was attracted to him, that I wanted him…simply put, that I had the hots for him.

I was pretty much a novice in the game of attraction, and I was fairly certain that it was more than likely due to the lack of viable communication between me and the men that I met, rather than a lack of desirability on my part. I wasn't a beauty queen, not by anyone's standards, but I wasn't chopped liver either. I believed that I was fairly pretty, not that I ever obsessed over that sort of thing, but I found myself wondering more and more what Bane thought of when he looked at me. I suppose that it was stupid, as well as reckless, for me to even care, but things had changed drastically between us, we were in an entirely different world than the one we'd lived in before, and I just couldn't help but allow myself to daydream a little while I watched him sleep.

He looked so young while he slumbered, with all of his waking concerns gone, but then, I suppose that we all did. He had given in to the lure of medically induced sleep a little over three hours before, and he'd rested easily the entire time, peacefully, but I began to notice his brow furrowing more and more, and I saw his head move back and forth with increasing regularity as beads of sweat sprang up on his face.

At first I thought that the effectiveness of the Dilaudid was wearing off, which was bad news, because he still had three hours left to go before I could give him anymore, but then I saw that his eyes were moving steadily back and forth beneath his eyelids, and it dawned on me that he was having a dream, a bad one, it would seem, and I watched as his lips began to move, forming words too quickly for me to follow them completely, though one, in particular, stood out clearly.

Talia.

Gotham City had believed her name to be Miranda Tate, but that had been a ruse. She was, or, rather, she had been Talia al Ghul, and it was soon revealed that she was the one behind the plot to destroy Gotham, a conspiracy originally devised by her father, Ra's al Ghul. There were several speculative stories that dealt with the explanation of the relationship that had existed between Bane and Talia, but no one, other than the surviving member of that connection, knew the truth.

It hurt me, to see the physical evidence of the anguish that he was suffering, a pain that had grown to include tears coursing down his cheeks, but it also made me jealous, made me envious, and those were feelings that shamed me, despite my inability to control them. It was one thing to be covetous of a woman who was tangibly in your life from day-to-day, but it was something entirely different to find that I was envious of a dead woman, one who still clearly held sway over Bane.

I watched him for a few minutes, torn over whether or not I should wake him, but all indecision went right out the window when I saw his large, powerful body tremble with the force of his sobs, and I knew that the time had come for me to act, and I tentatively rose to my feet and placed my hands on top of his, which were tightly gripping the sheets that covered him to the middle of his chest, and when that didn't work I placed my palms against his cheeks, wiping away a mixture of tears and perspiration.

There were several moments in my life when I wished with all my might that I allowed myself to vocalize my thoughts, but it was something that I'd allowed to grow dormant in my life. I had tried to begin with, when I first lost my hearing, but I'd foolishly allowed the taunts of others to defeat me. This was definitely one of those moments, and I took a deep breath, moving my lips so that I might form the words, and searched within myself, striving to find my voice, no matter how awkward it might have sounded.

"B-bane," I said, my throat choking, and trying to close, against the unfamiliar sensation of sound traveling out of me. "It's o-only a dream. W-wake up now…wake u-up."

He thrashed his head back and forth, twice, then a third time, before he woke with a start, his eyes wild and unfocused as his hands shot up to grasp my face, pulling me down to place his lips to mine, kissing me with a desperate fervor that was filled with relief, and I didn't allow myself to think, I simply felt, and returned the kiss with all I had, and it was one of the most glorious moments of my life…until he realized who it was that he was smooching, that is.

He slowly pulled away from me and opened his eyes, which were filled with a gamut of emotions. "Well, well…this is quite a surprise, Malayna," he said, gazing at me with an intensity that made the blush that I felt burning my face strengthen to a level that was almost painful to me. "Here I was, expecting Talia, but you are not her, are you, my dear?"

Indeed I was not, which was a fact that ought to have pleased me, knowing who she was, or, rather, who she had been, but instead it depressed me, because I wasn't the one that he'd wanted to kiss.


	3. Silence Has A Sound All Its Own

Chapter Three

Silence Has a Sound All Its Own

A Note from Mary Sue: I just wanted to say thanks to all of you wonderful readers who have taken the time to send me a review, and/or added this story to your favorite or follow list(s). There's no greater inspiration than the knowledge that what you're doing is appreciated, so, once again, thank you.

Malayna's POV

One moment I was dreaming, strolling along a white beach between my Mom and Dad, holding hands with both of them, completely oblivious to the terror that awaited the three of us, the next I was waking to the incessant rhythm of the strobe light that had been mounted beside my bed, which told me that my patient had awakened and needed something from me.

I raised my head and stared blearily at the clock, and was surprised to see that it was a quarter past six in the morning, which meant that I'd been asleep for six hours, because it felt like I'd only had maybe two hours…..

_Aw, hell_, I thought to myself, all but jumping from the bed and rushing through the door that connected my bedroom to Bane's. _It's time for his medicine. How could I have forgotten to have it ready for him at six? He must be in agony._

Of course, I knew _exactly_ why I was acting so scatterbrained. This was the start of the day that I'd think of as _The Kiss, plus one_. My mind had been so frazzled when I went to bed that it was amazing to me that it had managed to reboot itself at all. Even now, while my eyes were still at half-mast and I stumbled with every other step that I took, I could feel his hands, so big and so strong. I could feel his breath, warm on my face, moments before his lips touched mine and turned me inside out…_oh, God_…_I don't know if I can do this_…..

My moment of whininess lasted for about half a second, until I looked across his room and saw him bathed in the dim glow of the lamp that had clicked on when he pressed the button to summon me. I could see that his face was drawn and sweaty, and he looked absolutely miserable, and any and all doubts that I might have had were forgotten as I rushed to his side, fully intent on helping him in any way that I could.

"Good morning, Malayna," he said, speaking through a mouth that was drawn tight from pain. "You look absolutely lovely, my dear."

I rolled my eyes, but only after I'd turned from his side to wet a washcloth so that I could sponge off his face. Where was the awkwardness that he was supposed to be feeling? Where was _his_ discomfiture? It seemed to me that he ought to have been feeling the aftershocks of the night before just as much as I was, but from what I could see he wasn't feeling self-conscious at all. Maybe he was one of those rare souls who had never felt embarrassed in their life…or maybe his pain was so bad that it was all he could concentrate on…yes, that had to be it.

I returned to his side, damp washcloth in hand, determined to do my job as professionally and proficiently as possible, a resolute attitude which faltered somewhat when I saw the way that he was looking at me, beneath the haze of misery that he was suffering, and realized, with a little jolt somewhere in the vicinity of my heart, that he wasn't nearly as unaffected as he would have liked me to believe. I saw those emotions staring back at me, for just an instant, and then they were gone, hidden once more behind his disciplined barriers, and surprisingly enough I wasn't disappointed, because I knew what I had seen, and it relieved me to know that I wasn't the only one whose emotions were all jumbled together.

I smoothed the cold cloth over his face, washing away all of his perspiration. It must have felt good to him, because he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then raised his hand to mine, patting it gently once, then twice, before returning it to his side. "Ah, thank you, my dear," he said, his smile showing that he'd relaxed somewhat. "That feels nice and cool, which is preferable to being hot and sweaty, is it not?"

Hmm, it was funny that he should mention those conditions, because I was feeling a little bit of both of those at that moment. Of course, it was highly unlikely that his words had been meant as a double-entendre, but I just couldn't help but think of how hot and bothered I felt at that moment, looking down into his eyes and remembering each and every second of the kiss that we'd shared the night before…the kiss that had occurred because he was thinking of _Talia_, and not because of me.

_I'm sorry that I didn't wake at six to administer your medication_, I said, swiftly returning to the task at hand before I made a fool of myself by staring longingly at him while I mopped his brow. _It's a mistake that I won't make again…_

He reached up and stilled my hand with his own. "There is no need for you to apologize to me, Malayna," he said, curling the tips of his fingers, so that they encompassed and held mine tightly. "I know that you were exhausted when we arrived last night, and it makes perfect sense that you would sleep deeply, given the events of late, so please stop worrying about me having to wait a full fifteen minutes, my dear, I assure you that I will be just fine."

I found myself wondering what his voice sounded like in that moment. Was his a soft and gentle voice, or was it straightforward and matter-of-fact? Did he murmur when he spoke to me, or speak loud enough that anyone in the vicinity could hear his words? I liked to imagine that his voice was smooth, silky almost, to match the articulation of his words, and I especially liked to pretend that his tone would be quiet in moments like the one that was passing between us, low and intimate, meant for only the two of us, but it was something that I would unfortunately never know…..

"I hate to interrupt your ruminations, and please excuse my crudeness, but I am afraid that the call of nature is upon me, and I would like to have use of the urinal before you administer my medication, if you would be so kind as to bring that to me, please."

I felt my cheeks burning, and prayed that the dim lights in the room would hide what had to have been a furious blush taking hold of my face. Wasn't it bad enough that I had overslept and missed giving him his medicine on time? Did I really have to add staring like an addlebrained twit to my list of criminal activities for the day as well? What was even worse was the fact that I couldn't contain the feeling of embarrassment to myself, no; I had to share that with him as well.

_Dr. Adelai left a lengthy set of instructions with that toad of a man who showed us to our rooms last night. One condition was that you weren't to use a urinal or bed pan any further. He said that you have to get up and use the facilities, rather than continuing to rely on shortcuts, if you truly wish to get better…I'm sorry, Bane._

He had told me that there was no need for me to apologize to him, but that had been in regard to a mistake that I had made myself, not a stupid rule that the weirdo who'd snatched us had made up and demanded that it be followed as a law. I knew that Bane had a great deal of pride, which hadn't been an issue while he was unconscious, but what about now that he was awake, and his nurse kept shooting what were no doubt lovelorn looks in his direction?

"You will have to awaken the Toad Man so that he might help to escort me to the facilities," he said, seemingly completely at ease with the fact that his wishes were being ignored. "I am much too heavy for you to assist me all on your own, my dear, and once more, please don't apologize, Malayna. You should never declare contrition for that which is not your fault. Only make amends for the sins which belong to you, those of others need not plague your conscience."

I had no desire to summon the Toad Man to help me, not then, not ever. I'd taken an immediate dislike to the creepy little man, and I had a pretty good idea that he didn't care much for me, or for Bane, and would undoubtedly just as soon hinder us than to ever offer us aid of any sort, and I wasn't about to put Bane's comfort and care into the hands of a man who couldn't care less whether he hurt him or not.

_I can help you just fine by myself_, I argued, moving to the side of his bed to lower the safety rail. _I am a professional nurse after all, and I've helped plenty of others to the restroom without the assistance of others_…..

He reached out and stilled my hand as I adjusted the bed and I looked at his face and saw that he was smiling at me in a way that said that I was very sweet and very cute, to think that I could handle him on my own, but that such a feat was surely impossible for someone like me, and I felt a tiny flaring of my temper as it was stroked to life by the fact that he thought that I was helpless.

"You are about five foot, three inches in height, yes?" he asked slowly, patiently, as if was questioning a small child.

_Five foot, three and a __**half**_, I stressed, knowing, even as I formed the words, that it made sense that he was speaking to me as if I was a small child, because that was exactly the way that I was behaving at that moment, like a brat with a serious attitude problem, and I knew that I ought to keep quiet, but knowing that you ought to do something, and having the ability to do so, are two very different things.

I couldn't hear him, but I was fairly certain, given his body language and facial movements, that he'd just snorted at me, and I felt my temper rise another degree in intensity. "Please excuse me overlooking that precious half inch of height," he said, his eyes twinkling at me mischievously. "So…you are five foot, three and a _half_ inches in height, and I would say about one hundred twenty-five pounds in weight, is that correct?"

He seemed to me a man who never made a mistake in his calculations and evaluations of things, but God bless him for the kindness of subtracting ten pounds off of my weight…even if he'd only done so because he suspected that I was very close to losing my temper with him, and with the belief that it was just as dangerous to earn the anger of those who cared for your health as it was to aggravate those who handled your food.

_Close enough_, I answered, smiling at him despite the residual irritation that I felt from his insinuations. _Though I don't know why that matters_…..

"On the contrary, my dear, I am afraid that it matters a great deal," he said, interrupting me as if he had the right to do so. "I am several inches taller than you are, and while it is obvious that I have lost a great deal of weight while I convalesced, the fact still remains that I outweigh you, and that the difference is enough that I could hurt you, if I were to fall on you, and that is why you must waken the Toad Man, so that he might help us, whether you wish to or not….."

I was tempted to look away from him, so that I could ignore his words, but I didn't, because I knew that doing so would be unforgivably rude, and despite the fact that he was behaving in a manner that was irritating to me, I had too much respect for him, as well as too much concern for his emotional wellbeing to subjugate him to the sort of treatment I'd received for most of my life, so I kept my eyes trained on him while he continued to tell me what I ought to do, as well, as how, when and where I ought to do it, and I took in each and every word, though I didn't bother to mask my feelings on the subject even the tiniest bit, and it wasn't long before he took notice of my expression and stopped mid-speech to stare at me, with one eyebrow raised.

"You wish to defy me," he said matter-of-factly, lowering his eyebrow and allowing something that might have been a smile to touch his lips, but it was gone so quickly that I couldn't say for certain that it had been there at all. "And though I am unaccustomed to humoring dissension in the ranks, I will allow you to explain your reasons for doing so…provided that you can persuade me, somehow, in some way, to overlook the differences in our height and weight, a task which will, no doubt, prove to be impossible."

I stared at him for a moment, too stunned to speak, but then the hilarity of what he'd said sank into my consciousness and I settled on a big, no doubt goofy grin, when what I really wanted was to laugh until I cried. _I suppose that you could call me defiant, if you wanted to, but the truth of the matter is that you are in need of your pain medication, and it is my duty, as well as my concern, to care for you and to ensure that you are comfortable. And while I appreciate your decision to 'humor my dissension', let me assure you that I have no intention of swaying you to my line of thinking. The facts are that you need to make use of the facilities before you can have your medication, and I am the only one who can help you, because, to be quite blunt, I don't think that the Toad Man cares in the least about what happens to either one of us, and it is highly unlikely that he will drag his bloated carcass out of bed to help us, which means that I am the only one that you have right now, isn't that right?_

I imagined that he wasn't accustomed to having his wishes, or rather, his _orders_ tossed back into his face, but I could practically see the cogs turning in his head while he looked at me, and in the end he came to the conclusion that I was right…either that or his need to pee and have some measure of his pain relieved trumped his need to be difficult and the one who was in charge.

"Very well, my dear, we will proceed with your plan. I only ask that you are careful not to hurt yourself and do your utmost to keep us from toppling to the floor, please."

It was a promise that I kept quite well, until we made our way back from the bathroom, and I tripped next to the bed and sent both of us sprawling. And even that move wasn't a complete catastrophe, because we didn't fall down onto the floor, we hit the bed instead, me on bottom, him on top of me, lying smack-dab between my legs, a predicament that I might have enjoyed, had I not been terrified that he'd hurt himself even more during the fall, that _I'd_ hurt him with my stubbornness.

"Well, well, this is quite a turn of events, is it not, Malayna?" he said, staring down into my eyes. "Perhaps next time you will heed my instructions and push back your pride and your need to be in charge, my dear."

Oh, he was a smug one…a smug one with intense eyes and kissable lips, who was pressed against me in the most thrilling, most dangerous way possible. It might have been satisfying for me, to say or do something that would wipe that supercilious smirk off of his face, but not yet, not until I'd had the chance to enjoy the press of his body against mine for a little bit longer, after all, who knew how much time would pass before another opportunity like this one presented itself to me?

Bane's POV

The little mouse was quiet, but I heard her as she entered my room, despite her best efforts to be as unobtrusive as possible, and even if I had not heard her, I definitely would have smelled her. I did not immediately open my eyes to greet her, choosing instead to peek surreptitiously at her from beneath my eyelids, and I watched as she made her way across the room with a tray in her hands, the tray from which some of the delicious smell originated, the other coming from the slight hint of perfume that she wore.

She was wearing a different ensemble in the light of day than she had in the early hours of the morning, and for one moment I wondered where she had managed to come by a change of clothes, until I recalled the duffel bag that she'd brought with her from the hospital and surmised that it must have contained the ensemble that she was clothed in, and what a stirring change it was.

I suppose that upon further reflection I might wonder what it was about her clothing that I could have possibly been drawn to, because it was not the sort of thing that would normally turn the head of your average male…or, perhaps it was. After all, it was not as if I could truly be counted upon for an honest opinion where these sorts of things were concerned, because I really was not the average male, was I?

She was standing at the table beside my bed, offering me a side view of her figure, and while I engaged the archaic and chauvinistic move commonly referred to as "elevator eyes" as furtively as possible, my gaze was inexplicably drawn again and again to the curve of her backside, which was plainly outlined by her choice of pants, a light grey pair made of a healthy amount of spandex, I was willing to bet, which fit her it a way which was best described as "skintight" from her waist down to her knees.

What would possibly inspire a woman to purchase pants like those in the first place, and even more maddening, why were my eyes drawn continuously to the curve of her backside? I could not recall another moment in my life when I had been so fascinated with that part of the female anatomy, but for the life of me, I simply could not look away from her, save for short instances, and I ruined those shows of character by admiring the shirt that she was wearing a bit more than a polite man ought to.

That is a bit of a lie, actually. It was not her shirt that I noticed, beyond the fact that it was black, had a V-neck, and a hem that stopped at her waist. What I noticed were the curves that rested beneath the shirt, the nicely shaped swells that rose and fell in time with each breath that she inhaled, and then subsequently exhaled. They were quite nice, lovely to behold, but still my gaze went back to her bottom time and time again, and I seriously began to contemplate the possibility that I had finally lost my mind.

I knew the real reason for my behavior, the root of the problem, so to speak, and it all laid in the memory of that kiss that I had given her, and no doubt in part to falling and landing on top of her, between her legs, because a man is just bound to look at a woman a little differently, once he has found himself resting amongst her thighs, is he not?

The dream of Talia was one that I had suffered with ever since I had learned of her death, by way of the careless chatter of the trollop nurse who had "cared" for me and the Don Juan doctor who had been the object of her lustful affections. Even now the pain of that loss was immense, and I told myself that it was that agony, that loneliness which had driven me into Malayna's embrace, and perhaps it had, initially, but the truth of the matter was that I had woken fairly quickly, that I was fully conscious one half of a second after my lips had met hers, and it had been instantly obvious to me that Talia's lips were not the ones that I had been kissing.

It had been a rare occurrence for my lips to meet Talia's throughout our later acquaintance with one another, but it had happened enough times that I knew what her kisses felt like, what they tasted like, and that was why I had immediately known that she was not the one kissing me back. Her mouth had always held back, had been reserved and appropriate, but the little mouse was different. She had kissed me in a way that had left no doubt in my mind to the fact that she was attracted to me. She'd met my embrace enthusiastically, and had returned it with no reservation, stirring me more than I cared to remember, because I had to wonder where that left my loyalty to Talia, if one kiss could cause so much havoc in me and make me forget the center of my universe, even if only for a moment.

I made my way through the recollection of the kiss, and found that I still had no answers for why it happened, and had decided to move on to the fall that had happened earlier in the morning when suddenly, without warning, she turned and found me staring at her, my eyes, which had begun at half-mast, now fully opened and staring at her, or, more appropriately, at her bum. I felt my cheeks burning furiously, which was a rarity for me, to say the very least, and determined that this was shaping up to be a variety of first moments in our association. First we had The Kiss, followed by The Fall, and now, The Blush of Self-consciousness…it was enough to make a man wish that he was still in a medically induced coma, where at least he was guaranteed a bit of peace and quiet.

_Good morning, Bane_, she said, smiling brightly, as if she had not a care in the world beyond that sunny beam. _Dr. Adelai left instructions with the detestable Toad Man that you are to be placed on a diet of clear liquids for forty-eight hours, and if you tolerate that well enough I am to move you on to soups. I brought you a big bowl of chicken broth, along with some apple juice and cherry Jell-O, but first things first…do you need to use the facilities before I give you your bath or not?_

I wasn't all that hungry, though the broth did smell delicious, and I could not abide the saccharine apple juice, nor the revolting gelatin…these were the thoughts that seized control of my mind initially, until it dawned on me that she had mentioned me using the facilities, and just like that I was picturing falling on top of her, onto the bed, resting between her legs, and then, like a bolt of lightning, the other scheduled event broke into my consciousness…a bath…which meant that I would be completely naked, and wet, while her small, soft hands rubbed soap all over my body...

Call it intuition, call it ESP, call it an overactive imagination, but somehow, someway, I just had a feeling that this was about to be another one of those "firsts" for us, and all that I could hope for was that it would fit easily and neatly beneath the heading of "The Bath" and spare me the humiliation of making a complete ass out of myself in one way or another…after all, a man could always hope for the best, could he not?


	4. Make Me Say Your Name

Chapter Four

Make Me Say Your Name

Bane's POV

I had never seen a tub like the one that waited for me in the lavatory; it was like most of the other gadgets in existence, something that looked much too complex and high-tech for me to be comfortable in its presence. Of course, I would imagine that much, if not all, of my uneasiness could be attributed to the fact that the little mouse intended to bathe my body, which was sure to be a task which would cause me to react in ways that were certain to embarrass both of us, and all of my good intentions would be washed right down the drain, making The Bath yet another first that ended with blushing and stammering and feeling like an absolute dolt as I thoroughly made an ass of myself.

She helped me to the bathroom with no difficulty, that being that we did not topple onto the bed, therefore I did not find myself ensconced between her thighs, and I could not help but feel a little bereft over the loss of reliving that sensation, no matter how thoroughly I reprimanded myself for behaving like an addlebrained, infatuated adolescent who allowed his genitals to make all of his important decisions for him.

As luck would have it, that being fortune of the worst sort, I did have to make use of the facilities before my bath, and once more she helped me over to the commode, and stood behind me, giving me a bit of support while I fumbled with the simple act of raising my hospital gown and aiming as best as I could, trying desperately and failing miserably to ignore the feel of her backside pressed against me. It was difficult enough to relieve yourself when someone else was in the room with you, and I reasoned that there was no need to encourage a certain sort of metamorphosis to take place, which would likely render the act impossible.

In the end I was spared the humiliation of a perpetually shy bladder, as well as equipment that failed in its assigned duty, and I managed to provide a healthy stream, one that went on for several moments, which in itself became somewhat of an embarrassment. I finally concluded the task and was helped to the side of the tub that would provide me with my first bath in ages, and did my best, endeavored, you might say, not to look at her backside while she was bent over filling it with water, and ended up failing miserably, which came as no surprise…my manners seemed to be growing a little laxer with each moment that passed us by.

Thankfully, the tub filled quickly, but my relief was short-lived, as luck would have it, because she immediately straightened afterward and turned to face me, intent, it would seem, on removing my gown, and though it was paltry concealment, to say the very least, it provided me with some measure of modesty, no matter how minute. I suppose that it was an illogical concern for me to have, given the fact that she had viewed, not to mention, touched, me as intimately as one could in the past, but that was different, I had been unconscious, a state which I was as far from at that moment as a body could be.

_I'm going to remove your gown now_, she said, and trailed her hands to the tie on the outside of my hospital issued casual ware and unfastened it, then moved up my shoulders, to the bow that rested on the back of my neck, untying it, so that the gown loosened, and tumbled to land at my feet in a heap of scratchy cotton. I was painfully aware of the fact that I was blushing, and that I was now laid bare to her gaze, but wonder of wonders, she kept her eyes trained on mine, even though I had given her ample reason to allow her eyes to wander, given my own lecherous behavior.

_Let me help you, Bane_, she said, leading me to the tub, and kindly offering me her arm to lean upon, while preserving my pride by allowing me to walk on my own. It was one thing to be painfully aware of the fact that you are naked, but it is far worse to be nude and led along like a feeble old man. We paused beside the tub and pondered the door that she would need to open so that I could step inside…the door which was keeping the water inside the bathtub, the water which would flood out onto the floor if she was to open said door.

I looked at Malayna and found her staring at the door, clearly embarrassed by what she had done. "There is no need for you to be upset, my dear," I said, trying to reassure her that all was well, all while doing my best to ignore the fact that I was doing so with all of my manly credentials clearly on display. "I would imagine that I can climb into the tub quite easily, which means that there is no need for you to open the door at all."

She turned and looked at me in the manner of one who had long been suffering the ordeal of an annoying presence, that being me, of course, and she might have followed said look with a rolling of her eyes toward the ceiling, but I had to have imagined her doing so, because while the little mouse definitely possessed a fiery temper, I was willing to wager that she would never allow herself to engage in such a childish action…would she?

_I have plenty of reasons to be upset, Bane, but the most pressing would be the fact that I filled up the tub with water, even though I knew that it was a walk-in bath, one that needed to be filled __**after**__ you walked into it, which means that I look like a complete idiot right now, an absolute jackass. As for you climbing into the tub, let's just say that I'll stand by and allow that when I see the footage of Hell freezing over live on CNN, okay?"_

Her mouth continued to form her words furiously, and I caught one every now and then, but I found myself struggling against the urge to laugh at her, and was therefore not quite as attentive as I ought to have been. I wondered if she knew that her eyes did not simply light from within when she was angry, but instead they positively sparked with a self-made fire, and were quite attractive, especially when she was standing with her feet planted apart, her hands firmly on her hips…while she stared at me expectantly, clearly waiting for a response to the query that she had just sent in my direction, the one that I had obviously missed, and my mind raced while I sought an answer that would not further provoke her temper.

"Of course," I said, thinking that a positive response would be the best course for me to take, or, at least I did until the flames in her eyes grew higher and higher, and she started tapping her right foot in a furious rhythm against the pristine tile floor. "Well, that is to say, perhaps, hmm, we should not, maybe?"

I knew at that moment that she need not worry about giving the impression of an idiot, nor a jackass, because there was little doubt in my mind, as I stood there, blushing and stammering, that I had thoroughly taken the top prize in both of those categories. The simplest thing would be to apologize, to admit that I had not been paying attention to her, followed by another sincere apology, but for some reason I simply stood as I was and stared at her, holding her gaze until she whirled around and went to work emptying the tub.

I took a second to appreciate the morbid hilarity of the moment, in the fact that I was completely naked and on the cusp of being on the receiving end of a full-blown temper tantrum, but then she bent over, right in front of me, and all thoughts that I had that had to do with anything beyond the shapeliness of her bottom went right out of my head, and my traitorous body began to react in a manner that was certain to garner her attention, once she finished emptying the tub.

"Oh, this is bad," I whispered to myself, despite the fact that I knew she could not hear me. "What are you going to do now, hmm? She is certain to notice the change in you when she turns around, and if the fact that you were going to climb into the tub by yourself made her angry, imagine what she will do when she sees that you have had a personal uprising because you were staring at her bottom like a common sexual deviant."

The water moved quickly down the drain, almost as though it was mocking me, and I quickly turned my back to her, thinking to myself that the sight of my bare backside was not the nicest way to greet her, but it had to have been better than the alternative. Time dragged by in silence, broken only by the sound of an occasional droplet of water bursting onto the bottom of the tub, and the combined sound of our breathing, until finally she cleared her throat, and when that failed to garner a response, she laid her hand on my shoulder and embarrassingly enough, I almost jumped out of my skin, and even worse, almost let loose with a cry of surprise as well.

I had been making a valiant effort to get ahold of myself, as a matter of fact, I had almost succeeded in starting the process that would allow me to calm the racing blood that was surging through my veins and fueling my hunger, by imagining various leaders throughout history in the nude…on a cold day…but all of my efforts proved futile when she touched me, and sent everything into top speed once more.

I turned to look at her over my shoulder and noticed that there was a faint blush visible on her cheeks, which intrigued me, and aroused me further, as if I needed any additional encouragement in that area. "Might I trouble you for a bit of privacy while I enter the tub, please, Malayna?" I asked, knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that I would much rather risk falling and cracking my skull than to put myself on display at that moment. "I believe that I am quite capable of handling a few steps on my own."

It dawned on me that I might have sounded ungrateful, that I possibly even appeared to be throwing a tantrum of my own, but both of those scenarios were acceptable to me, when compared with the truth, and the reaction that it might bring about. I could see that she wanted to argue with me, but in the end she chose to move away from me instead, and she was the one who presented her back to me, so that I could complete my task without the worry that she might sneak a peek at me before I could find some measure of modesty, not that I believed that she would look, though I appreciated the gesture all the same.

As it turned out, I was not as adapt and agile on my own as I would have had Malayna believe, but I still managed to make it into the tub all on my own, and took my seat, quickly grabbing the washcloth that she had placed by the side of the bath, throwing it atop my burgeoning masculinity, in a sad and pathetic attempt to conceal my obvious condition.

"Leave me," I whispered, continuing with my bid to keep my voice low, in spite of the fact that I knew she could not hear a word that I said. "This is neither the time nor the place, and this state is bound to offend her. There is not anything remotely stimulating about this; it is simply a bath, nothing more and nothing less….."

My words, or, more accurately, my _lies_ died a quick death as she turned around and found me seated in the tub, just as she had expected me to be, engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation, or, more precisely, a desperate bid of heartfelt pleading with my genitalia to calm down and behave, which was, I would be willing to wager, something that she had _not_ expected, not that she actually knew that I had been speaking to that part of my body, all that she knew for certain was that I was talking to myself…I just hoped that she had not noticed that my eyes were downcast when she turned, trained intently upon my…..

_It looks like you're ready for me_, she said, smiling at me tentatively, clearly ashamed of her tantrum, and eager to make peace with me, and I appreciated the gesture, though I was certain that she could have chosen words that were not so appropriately, yet accidentally, suggestive. _Are you ready for me, Bane_?

I was doomed.

Malayna's POV

I wasn't certain who he thought he was fooling with his strategically placed washcloth, but it wasn't working. I was pretty familiar with his naked body, I'd seen it several times over the past fifteen months, though I couldn't recall another time that I'd seen it as it was at that moment, and I couldn't stop the tiny shiver that coursed through me as I tried, and failed, to keep my eyes from straying, over and over again, to that terrycloth covered treasure.

_Behave yourself_, I hissed to myself, but I couldn't help but wonder if his reaction was related to me, personally, or if he would have had the same sort of response to any woman who was in close proximity to him, in this sort of situation…yes, that was probably it. There was no reason for me to flatter myself with the idea that I was the one who'd awakened him, when he probably would have responded to any woman in the same way.

I told myself to proceed with the bath, thinking that it would be best, for both of us, if we got it over with, but then it dawned on me that I'd only brought one washcloth with me, and it was otherwise occupied at that moment. I agonized over what I ought to do for several moments, striving to find a solution that wouldn't humiliate either one of us any further, and after several choices raced through my head, options which all made me blush, I finally had an epiphany. I could turn on the hydrovescent therapy option of the tub…that is, the bubbles…which might reassure him that all was well for him to release the cloth.

His eyes widened as the water around him began to boil and froth, then took on a look of relief as he reached the same conclusion that I had. The bubbles didn't mask him completely, of course, but they offered enough modesty that he released the washcloth without me asking him to, handing it to me with a somewhat sheepish smile.

I took his offering in hand, then dipped it down into the water and brought it, soaked and dripping, to his bared flesh, prepping him for a soaping. I snuck a peek at his face, and smiled to myself when I saw his eyelids fluttering, trembling, with each and every caress, and wondered how long it had been, since he'd had the luxury of relaxing in a hot bath of bubbling, soothing water…if he'd ever enjoyed such a thing before, that is.

I had found two varieties of soap in the bathroom, a lavender scented one that I determined was for my use, and another bar that had a pleasant, woodsy smell about it, and I took that bar into my hands and stared at it for a moment, then at the cloth, knowing that it would be best for me to work the soap to a lather with the rag, but for some odd reason I vetoed that idea and rubbed it between my hands instead, working up a good bit of foam, and applied it, with my palms, onto his body.

His muscles stiffened for an instant, and then relaxed completely as he turned to look at me, his eyes filled with a jumble of emotions, and it dawned on me that I had just stepped over a line. _I'm sorry_, I said, my cheeks flaming as I started to move my hands away from his body._ I'll use the cloth from now on, unless you would rather that I stop altogether_…..

His hands shot up from beneath the water and took hold of my wrists before I could move away from him, holding them gently, but firmly, in place. "I was not complaining, my dear," he said, stroking his thumbs across the back of my hands. "I rather enjoy the feel of your hands, as opposed to that rough cloth, and would ask that you proceed in this fashion, if you would not mind doing so, Malayna."

I didn't mind at all, as a matter of fact, I relished the idea of running my hands over his body, but I didn't feel that there was any reason for me to share that scandalous knowledge with him. I returned my soapy palms to his shoulders and massaged them, trying valiantly, and failing miserably, to stop my eyes from staring at the scar that ran the length of his spine, from the base of his neck down to his waist. It was rude to gawk the way that I was and I blushed, for what had to have been the hundredth time, when I found him watching me, watching him, but then he began to speak, and his choice of topic immediately distracted me from my unease.

"I have had the same dream every night since I learned of Talia's death," he said, his eyes holding strongly onto mine. "I am trying to find her, running here and there through a thick bank of fog, crying out for her, but despite my best efforts I can only see a wisp of her hair, or a glimpse of her sleeve, and then she is gone once more. I have the same cursed dream each and every night, and I can never find her. I wake myself, crying and screaming for her, and then I cannot sleep for hours, because I am too busy wondering if she cried out for me before she died, and I obsess over the knowledge that I failed her, I did not fulfill her dream, I lived, while she died…but last night was different. Last night _you_ found _me_…you brought me back and offered me the solace of your embrace, did you not, my dear?"

I wasn't sure how I should answer, I wasn't sure that I _could_ answer him, but he continued to speak, which meant that I didn't have to. "You comforted me, and held me and kissed me, and I ought to have explained myself in the moments that followed, but I did not have the words at that time…speaking of words, my dear, there was a difference in my dream last night, one that occurred right before you woke me. I heard a voice, one that did not belong to Talia, one that I had never heard before, and I suspect that it was your voice that called to me, am I correct in that assumption, Malayna?"

I wanted to deny what we both knew was true, remembering my earlier attempts at speech following the accident. I could still hear the taunts, the nicknames…_mush mouth_…in my head, and for one terrified moment I worried that Bane might subject me to the same treatment, until I remembered that he was the one, the only one since Granny had died, who took the time and showed the patience necessary to communicate with me the way that I preferred, which meant that it was unlikely that he would taunt me over the way that I'd bungled my words.

_Yes, you are correct_, I said, too flustered, as well as too stubborn, to answer him out loud. It was one thing to do so when he was asleep, but I was much too self-conscious to attempt to form the words while he was wide-awake and watching me so closely. _You wouldn't wake, and I didn't know what else to do_…..

My words trailed away as he reached out his hand and cupped my cheek, wetting my skin and causing my heart to flutter within my chest. "It worked wonderfully, my dear, and I cannot thank you enough for bringing me out of that nightmare, for offering me solace and showing me that….."

_I am the one who owes you my thanks_, I interrupted, unsure of how I would behave if he said what I thought that he meant to say, or, even worse, if he _didn't_ say it. _If it wasn't for you I would have met the same fate as everyone else on the floor of that hospital. You saved my life, Bane, and I can never repay you for that, no matter how hard I try….._

"Of course you can," he said, taking a page from my book of manners. "Not that I would want, or expect you to thank me for taking you out of that hospital. I did what I did because I wanted you with me, because I needed you with me, not because I meant to ask for any sort of recompense, my dear."

I leaned into the caress of his hand, savoring the feel of his warm, calloused flesh, without a second thought as to whether I ought to or not. _But you changed your mind, is that it_? I asked, wondering what payment he would demand, secretly hoping that it would involve something forbidden, because I wanted him to want me in that way, just as I prayed that it wouldn't, because it would disappoint me to know that he would want that sort of trade between us. _You've decided that there is something that I can do for you, Bane_?

"Yes, there is," he said, moving his hand, so that he could trace his fingertips over my lips. "I want you to speak to me, Malayna, I want to hear your voice again, speaking my name, the way that you did last night. That would make me very happy, my dear, and compensate for everything that I have done, even though I did not, and still do not, require any payment. I want you to do so to please me, not to pay me…will you do that for me?"

It was the simplest thing in the world, just to say his name, but it was also the most difficult thing that anyone had ever asked of me. I wanted to do it, I tried to form the word, but in the end I couldn't, and was left red-faced and on the verge of tears, thinking that I was pathetic and incapable of accomplishing something that was so effortless, that ought to have come easily to me.

"There is no need for you to be upset, my dear," he said, comforting me with the stroke of his hand and a warm smile. "We can work our way up to it, there is no need for you to rush, because I am a very patient man, and I believe that it will be well worth the wait, so let us finish this bath because I am anxious to partake of that broth…the juice and the gelatin, not so much, perhaps we could reach a compromise on that topic, could we not?"

I smiled and took a deep breath, feeling much better and agreed that I would allow a compromise, thinking to myself that I could easily replace the juice and Jell-O with an extra helping of chicken broth and plenty of water. It was a small thing for him to ask of me, since I hadn't managed to give him what he wanted by saying his name.

_First the bath, then the broth and some water, and after that you'll have your medicine and a nap. Dr. Adelai will be expecting to meet with both of us first thing in the morning, and then we'll have to get to work rebuilding your strength, so it would be best to enjoy this day of rest while it lasts_.

He smiled and nodded, then leaned back against the tub, allowing the bubbles to soothe him while I washed his body, trying my best not to think about the places that rested beneath the water, the ones that I had yet to touch. I decided that it would be best to allow him to cleanse those spots himself, because I would undoubtedly blush and stare if I was to do so, even if I used the cloth instead of my hand…..

Oh, God…I was in deep trouble, wasn't I?

* * *

He was bathed, squeaky clean from head-to-toe…having washed certain spots all on his own. He was well-fed and medicated and tucked into his bed, and I sat by his side long after he'd drifted off, watching his eyes and the rising and falling of his chest until I was absolutely certain that he was asleep and then I rose to my feet and cupped his cheek in my hand, in the same manner that he had earlier and bent down, placing my lips beside his ear.

"Sw-sweet dreams, B-bane," I murmured, boldly kissing his earlobe before I straightened…and froze in place. His eyes were bleary, but they were opened, and there was a smile of pure satisfaction on his face, a smile unlike any I'd ever seen before, one that made me tingle from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

"Thank you, my dear," he whispered, his eyelids fluttering as sleep conquered him. "It was just as I remembered…such a lovely, lovely voice."


	5. Sleeping Bud Burst into Bloom

Chapter Five

Sleeping Bud Burst into Bloom

Malayna's POV

I was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of my family, as I did most nights, when suddenly I was awakened by rough hands grasping hold of my shoulders, shaking me all about, in the manner of a ragdoll. I bit back a scream as my eyes flew open and I scrambled to turn on the bedside light, to chase away the pitch-black gloom that filled the air all around me, so that I might face my attacker, only to reveal the ugly mug of the Toad Man leering down at me.

"Rise and shine, dummy," he said, his breath, pungent with the stale odors of onions and garlic, wafting over me in a nauseating fog. "It's five in the a.m. and Dr. Adelai has a list of chores that need filling, so get a hustle on, unless you want me to motivate you in my own special fashion, that is."

His eyes moved down, tracing a disgustingly lecherous line of sight across my breasts, all the way down to my bared leg, peeking from beneath the covers. I could only imagine what his idea of "motivation" was, no doubt it was the stuff that nightmares were made of, and I found myself wishing that I allowed myself more freedom with my voice, so that I could tell him to piss off.

I made do with glaring at him as hatefully as I could manage, and given my estimation of him as a human being, I imagined that it was a successfully fearsome glower, but not scary enough to frighten him, given the way that he laughed at me in response. Finally I looked away from him, staring pointedly at the bedroom door, then back at him, waiting for him to take the hint that it was time for him to leave, wondering what I would do if he refused, but thankfully he turned and started toward the door, stopping just long enough to wink at me before he left.

Only then did I allow myself to shudder, shaking from head-to-toe with revulsion, which would have been bad enough on its own, but when paired with fear, and the feeling, no matter how temporary, of absolute helplessness, was enough to make me want to hide beneath the covers all day long, which I might have done, had I not had someone depending on me for his care.

That was the only motivation that I needed to pull myself out of bed and shake off all of my fears. I wasn't able to abolish them altogether, of course, the stronger ones always clung to me for hours, sometimes days, even months, and in the absolute worst scenario of my life, which took place during the summer when I was twelve, it had clung to me for years, seemingly immortal and destined to torment me until the day that I died.

I found the commands that Dr. Adelai had sent with the Toad Man on a piece of ivory colored paper, with gilded edging, on my dresser top, my dresser which had previously rested in my tiny bedroom in my miniscule apartment. I looked all around the room and saw that all of my possessions, those great and those small, had been moved to fill this new bedroom, in my new home, in my new life, and though I was happy to see my own things, to associate myself with those objects that were familiar to me, I couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment and uneasiness as well, knowing that this was another example that I had no say-so in my life, and that it had probably been the Toad Man who'd packed my things, _all_ of my things, which meant that he'd ran his slimy hands all over…..

_You need to calm down, sweetheart. Take a deep breath, hell, take three or four if needs be, but you can't let this get you all in a dither. Think of all that you've endured, Malayna, think of all of the pain and all of the hardship, and remember that you survived all of it, because you're strong. Not because you have superhuman strength or extraordinary power, but because you've never given up, sweetheart…you've never even known what it means to try._

Granny had always known just what to say to reach me, and this time was no different. I clutched the edges of the dresser tight in my hands, oblivious and uncaring that I was wrinkling the expensive paper that Dr. Adelai had used to issue his orders to me. I ended up taking six deep breaths before I felt calm enough to proceed with the rest of my day, but in the end I did find my inner strength, and a renewed desire to succeed, no matter how difficult the task, and no matter who tried to stand in my way.

I placed the letter on the dresser top and smoothed out all of the wrinkles. It didn't look good as new, but I imagined that it would suffice just fine, considering that it was for my eyes only.

_Miss Bishop: I have decided that Mr. Bane should be advanced to a diet of soft foods, given that he responded as well as he did to clear liquids, followed by soups. You are to feed him, and ready him for his first meeting with me, to commence at noon. When I say 'ready him', I mean that you are to dress him, but also that you are to see that his hair is given a proper cutting. I detest long hair on a man; after all, we are gentlemen here, not heathens. I had suitable clothing purchased for him, and placed in his wardrobe, and you will find that your own clothing has been brought to your new room as well. I insist that you wear a dress for this meeting, as well as any future consultations, Miss Bishop, because I cannot abide the sight of a female in trousers of any sort. You will also wear your hair up for these meetings, because you are a professional, and are much too old to be wearing your hair in a style more suited to an adolescent. Remember these instructions, and above all else, be prompt._

I had no problems, no issues whatsoever with feeding Bane and readying him, I enjoyed taking care of him, but shouldn't it be his decision about his hair, his say-so about whether it was cut, or whether it stayed long instead? And why in hell should I have to wear a dress, and put my hair up in a bun? These were all just ways for him to control us, to have his way, but what else could I do? Our lives were hanging in a fragile balance, by a tenuous thread, and I wasn't about to do or say anything that would jeopardize us any further, so I'd play nice, I could do that…for now.

Bane's POV

I was immersed in a dream that was unlike any that I had ever experienced before. I was in a meadow, surrounded by verdant beauty, sprinkled here and there with tiny flowers in shades of blue, of yellow, of red and of orange. Someone had laid a blanket on the grass, a quilt, and I was lounging on it, digging through a picnic basket, intent on finding the delicious fried chicken that I somehow knew was inside, when suddenly my attention was snagged by the laughter of a child, a beautiful little girl who was flitting here and there, chasing butterflies, with her long dark hair in pigtails, in a sundress of various shades of pink, who possessed the most lovely, most familiar pair of big brown eyes…..

The dream dissolved in an instant when I heard the door to my room open, followed by light footsteps, the sort which belonged to the little mouse, accompanied by a variety of tantalizing smells which almost made up for the loss of my dream, of knowing what the child meant to say to me, as she had turned around and smiled at me, in a manner that said that she knew me, and even more surprising, in a way that said that she _loved_ me.

I heard Malayna set the tray on the bedside table and opened my eyes, pretending to look at the clock, so that I could hastily wipe away the tears that threatened to fall. I knew without looking that it was eight in the morning, which was the allotted time for breakfast in this establishment, now that Dr. Adelai had returned, but it was a convenient way for me to hide the fact that I was crying, and I took advantage of it, reasoning that it would be much easier to feign ignorance, as opposed to attempting to explain my tears.

She moved to stand beside the bed, clothed in a black smock, which was decorated with white posies, and black pants, which were similar to the grey ones that she had worn the day before, the ones that had caused my body to react in ways that were thrillingly inappropriate, and surprisingly I felt myself stirring once more as I looked at her, despite the earliness of the hour and the fact that I had just awakened, a condition which hinted that I was in danger of having my manhood take over the base of operations for my entire body, after it had eradicated my brain once and for all.

_Good morning, Bane_, she said with a bright smile, in the same manner in which she always chose to speak to me, which vexed me somewhat, even though I had promised her that we would take things slowly where communication through spoken words was concerned. _Do you need to make use of the facilities before you have your breakfast_?

"No, of course not," I said snappishly, thankful for the fact that she could not hear me, and bear auditory witness to my boorish behavior. "I made thorough use of the lavatory when you administered my medication at six, so what makes you think that I would need to relieve myself again?"

She had been leaning toward me, perhaps in preparation of the act of straightening my pillows and helping me sit up in the bed, so that I could eat my breakfast. She might have even intended to lay her hand on me in a friendly caress, but instead she drew back, almost as though I had struck her, and I realized that though she could not hear my tone, she was still capable of feeling it in all of its ugliness, and I instantly felt ashamed of myself for hurting her.

_I didn't realize that the state of your bladder was such a touchy subject_, she said slowly, all traces of her smile gone, replaced by a mouth that was mostly melancholy, touched here and there by the tightening that accompanied anger. _But since everything is just as it ought to be, we'll go ahead and move on to breakfast, and then I'll cut your hair for you, so that you can be more presentable, at least, more presentable as far as Dr. Adelai is concerned._

It was at that moment that I noticed the small pair of shears that she had placed upon the tray that held a bounty of victuals. They were the sort that one would expect to see in a barber shop, but they seemed to gleam dangerously while I watched them, and I realized that I had possibly made a serious, potentially fatal mistake with my burst of temper. It was foolish enough, to enrage the one who prepared your food for you, but it was even more imprudent to do so when that person was in possession of a pair of razor-sharp scissors as well. I felt a tremor of fear race its way along the length of my spine as I contemplated the shears, paired with the small hint of fire that I had seen in her eyes, and wondered which part of my body she would cut off first, and hoped that it was not one that I could not live without, or, more accurately, one that I wouldn't _want_ to live without.

Malayna's POV

His hair was soft, like that of a child, and I enjoyed running my fingers through it, smoothing it back away from his face, and it was obvious that he enjoyed it as well, given the way that he closed his eyes with each stroke, his shoulders rising and falling with what I imagined was a sigh of pleasure. It seemed shameful, wasteful, somehow, to take scissors to his hair and shear it all away, but I knew that that choice wasn't mine to make, that there would be very little that I would control anymore, if I was actually allowed to choose anything ever again, that is.

Of course, I had chosen what I wore while I went about my morning tasks. I might have to put on a dress for the meeting, and put my hair into an upsweep or a bun, but I chose the clothes that I was wearing at that moment for myself. I was the one who'd decided on the ensemble, as well as the ponytail that kept my hair out of my face, so that was one choice that I'd had, one small victory.

I had also decided on the breakfast menu all on my own. The only restriction that I'd been given was that the food be soft in nature, and since the tiny kitchen attached to my room had been stocked with a bevy of ingredients, I'd determined that I would prepare scrambled eggs with dill weed and white cheddar cheese, accompanied by fresh strawberries and blueberries, with honey drizzled oatmeal and biscuits and gravy. He'd reacted like a man who hadn't eaten in years, though the biscuits and gravy had given him pause, for a couple of seconds, until he'd given in to temptation and tried them, and loved them, just as I'd suspected he would. I'd made all of those choices myself, and that qualified as another triumph over the doctor.

And now I was the one who would decide what his hair would look like, though the idea of cutting it all off pained me, and there was the dilemma. I'd been given the opportunity to have my say, I'd been handed yet another win, but it was one that I resented, which I suppose meant that Dr. Adelai would have the last laugh, the last victory after all…unless I chose to defy him by asking Bane for his opinion, of course, which would place the triumph not only in my hands, but in his as well.

He was sitting in a chair beside the bed, bared to the waist, and I moved to stand closer to him, placing myself between his legs, a position that was provocative, to say the least. He'd kept his eyes closed while I massaged his scalp, but they slowly opened when he felt me move, and widened somewhat as he contemplated my position, but he didn't seem inclined to complain, as a matter of fact he seemed pleased, though it was more probable than not that I'd imagined that, because that was what I wanted him to be.

"That feels good, Malayna," he said, smiling at me in a way that left no doubt in my mind about the fact that he was indeed pleased, and I felt my heart foolishly give a tiny flutter in my chest. "You always know what to do to make me good, do you not, my dear?"

I wasn't sure how I ought to answer, what I ought to say, and all of the thoughts that leapt to my mind sounded inane to me as I pondered, then discarded them, and I could feel my face burning as he continued to watch me closely, then flame beyond any blush that I had ever known in the past as he moved his hand, placing it on my waist, his touch light and gentle while he mimicked the caress of my fingers through his hair.

"It is a novel thing, to see a woman who possesses the ability to blush, and I must say that I rather enjoy the sight of that pink tincture on your cheeks, though I did not intend to embarrass you, my dear, or to make you self-conscious. Am I still so new to you that you feel awkward in my presence, Malayna, or could there be another reason that you are blushing, a secret, perhaps, that you would like to share with me?"

My fingers stilled in his hair, and the feel of his hand on my waist was the center of my consciousness, paired with a palatable responsiveness to the intensity of his eyes, a passion that tempted me to answer him honestly, to unleash each and every clandestine desire that resided within my heart. There were so many secrets that I could tell him, that I wanted to reveal to him, but I didn't dare. He still belonged to Talia, that much was obvious to me, and there was no way that I was going to let him know how I felt about him, at least, I wasn't going to do so purposefully.

"Ah, the blush deepens, as does the allure," he said, pulling me closer, tightening his legs to encompass me. "Is there something that you would like to share with me, my dear, or am I to be kept in suspense? Do I truly unnerve you, or is there some other reason that causes you to react the way that you to me, Malayna?"

I had the strangest sensation at that moment, one that said that he was flirting with me, but that couldn't be possible, could it? I had to have been imagining it, but if he wasn't flirting, what was he doing? I didn't know what to say, I wasn't sure what I ought to do, then suddenly his demeanor changed and he moved his hand from my waist and took hold of my hand, the one that had fallen limply to my side, in his own.

"You are not truly scared of me, are you?" he asked, his eyes changing in an instant, from a look that was beguiling and coy to an expression that conveyed concern and apprehension. "I am sorry for snapping at you earlier, my dear, I should not have lost my temper, but please do not think that you have any reason to fear me, Malayna."

It should have been absurd, to hear him offer that sort of reassurance to me, given his past, but the truth of the matter was that I didn't fear him. Granted that he'd been unconscious for the majority of our acquaintance with one another, but in all the time that I had experienced personal contact with him, he'd never once given me any reason to believe that he might hurt me, he'd never even attempted to abuse my trust for him in any way, and I knew that he never would…I couldn't say for certain why I knew that, I just did, and I held a strong certainty within my heart that no one, and nothing, would ever make me believe otherwise.

_We all have our bad days, Bane, and it's understandable that you would be frustrated from time to time_, I said, or, rather, I _shaped_, which was how Granny had referred to our special way of talking to one another. _And no, I'm not afraid of you…I'm just a little scared of the things that you make me_…..

I managed to grasp control over my runaway tongue before I thoroughly disgraced myself, but it was obvious to me, judging by the look that came into his eyes, that he knew exactly what I'd meant to say, before I stopped myself, and his lips slowly slid into a knowing, and satisfied smile, one that was almost a smirk, though not one of meanness, just a bit more conceited than it needed to be.

I thought of several things that I could have said, in an effort to bring him down by a notch or two, but time was growing short, and I didn't want either of us to be late for our appointment with Dr. Adelai. Besides which, if the truth were to be known, I kind of liked that look in his eyes, just as much as I liked the smile…I just knew that I had to enjoy them while they were there, because it would be a mistake to make them a habit, wouldn't it?

Bane's POV

Dr. Adelai had not changed since I had seen him last, not that I had truly expected him to do so. The same could not be said for the little mouse, for she had undergone a transformation in the short time that we had been apart, after she had cut my hair, and gave me a quick bath, after she had dressed me in finery that felt odd on my body, and combed my hair for me.

A metamorphosis had taken place after she had stepped out of my room, and it was one that was making it very difficult for me to concentrate on the words that were coming out of the good doctor's mouth…not that I was all that keen on listening to him blather on about his goals in life anyway, but that was not the point. The fact of the matter was that I was usually more disciplined, and it was a tad bit unnerving, to face the truth about the effect that she was having on me, whether I wanted to or not.

I suppose the changes that had overtaken her were due to the demands of the doctor with the alarmingly brilliant smile, just as my haircut and clothing had been, though she _had_ asked for my permission to proceed before she applied her shears to my hair. I could not help but feel a bit of gratitude toward Dr. Adelai for demanding this transformation of her, if only so that I might see her, and admire her, as she was at that moment.

I was discovering new things about myself with each and every day that passed by. First I had found that I had an appreciation for curvaceous backsides that I had never known that I possessed, and now I knew that I fancied legs that were short, but very shapely, as well. Malayna's legs were a lesson in flow and symmetry, furthered enhanced by the high heels that encased her feet, devices which served the purpose of highlighting her legs, as well as accentuating the curviness of her backside…not that she had needed any additional help in that area, but there it was, all the same.

I appreciated the fact that she was wearing nylon stockings on her lovely legs, and pondered, for longer than what was decent, I might add, whether they were the sort that were all one piece, or if she was a woman who employed the use of a garter belt instead, which meant that part of her thighs were bare beneath her dress…..

I purposefully, though reluctantly, pulled my attention back to her dress, foolishly thinking that I might cool my heated blood and calm my racing pulse. After all, what danger could a simple dress pose for me? It was a piece that was fashioned to resemble a skirt and a blouse, and the blouse was demure and elegant…and clung to the swells of her breasts, flowing rhythmically with each inhalation and exhalation. The skirt was modest, with a hem that fell to her knee…and was tailored so that it clung to her bottom in a way that made me green with envy…..

What on earth was wrong with me? One would think that I had never seen a woman before, and though it was true that I had not had many opportunities in my life to interact with the fairer sex, she certainly was not the only attractive female to have ever crossed my path. After all, I had experienced a long history with Talia, one that explored almost every intimacy that a man could share with a woman, but those times were vastly different from that which was burgeoning between Malayna and me.

Talia had always held back from me, even in the most intimate moments, but Malayna did not seem to know how to keep what she was thinking or feeling under a cool façade of calculated composure, as Talia had. Malayna did not always choose to express herself with me, and more often than not she tried to hide her emotions, but her body language always gave her away, and her eyes spoke volumes to me, and made me think about, and feel things that I had no business whatsoever entertaining.

Even now, there were hints of her unrestrained nature. She had crossed her legs as she sat beside me, as any lady would, but her foot refused to rest, as it ought to have. Her hands were fidgety, and strands of her hair had come loose from the elegant upsweep that was part of her transformation, drawing my eyes to the scars that I had noticed around her ears, and on the back of her neck, physical proof that she had suffered serious injuries at some point, and I wondered…..

"I must say that I am unaccustomed to being ignored, Mr. Bane," Dr. Adelai's heavily accented voice broke through my ruminations, bringing me jarringly back to reality, the one that had both Malayna and me held in his grasp. "Perhaps I will be able to hold your attention a little better if I have Miss Bishop leave the room, yes?"

It took me a moment to realize that 'Miss Bishop' was Malayna, that Malayna was 'Miss Bishop', because that name did not mean anything to me, but then I put two and two together, and reached the solution that he meant to send the little mouse from the room, so that I would be forced to listen to his delusions of grandeur voiced aloud, as opposed to memorizing each and every facet of the dazzling Miss Bishop, and it was an answer that I did not care for, not in the least.

"She stays with me," I argued, shakily rising to my feet, in a bid to feel a little less vulnerable than I did at that moment, and smiled at the doctor when I felt Malayna rise from her chair to stand beside me, offering me her aid, should I need it, while preserving my pride by not demanding that I hold on to her. "If she leaves the room, Dr. Adelai, I will as well."

The doctor smiled at me in the manner of one who was growing weary of humoring the actions of an obnoxious child, and slowly walked toward Malayna, his smile turning to a smirk when I moved to stand in front of her. Apparently he found my protective gesture humorous, but it annoyed him as well, and he made a point of reaching around me to take hold of her arm, shaking his head at me when I moved to intercept him.

"I would advise you to restrain yourself from these pointless acts of valiance, Mr. Bane," he advised, his icy blue eyes darting across the room, to the heavily armed duo that was guarding the exit. "Mr. Simmons and Mr. Warner tend to react badly when they believe that I am in danger, and though you aren't in prime condition, you still represent a serious threat to my wellbeing, and they won't hesitate to put you down if needs be, and that would be such a shame, a tragedy really, much like destroying a thoroughbred when it is no longer of any value, wouldn't you agree?"

I was tempted to show him how threatening I could be, if provoked, once I put my mind to intimidating those around me, but I was not willing to do or say anything that might cause harm to come Malayna's way. I watched as she was moved from my side, with fists that were tightly clenched, endeavoring to smile at her when she turned to look at me over her shoulder, to reassure her, though I was fairly certain that my resulting grimace did little to comfort her.

"She can stand right here, beside the window, and look out at the scenery while we have a conversation, and she will be fine, just so long as she doesn't turn to look at either one of us, because I don't like my conversations to be overheard. I understand that she is quite skilled at reading lips, and that would never do, Mr. Bane, not at all. She will stay just as she is at this moment, and if she turns, she will be taken from the room, and we will continue our conversation in private, is that understood, hmm?"

It might have been best to stay silent in moments such as this, but I felt particularly argumentative for some reason, a feeling which encouraged me to speak. "She can ignore you just as easily sitting beside me….."

Dr. Adelai left her standing at the window and stood behind her, watching me with coldly furious eyes and a disturbing half smile curving his lips. "I am unaccustomed to offering choices to those who work for me, but I am willing to make an exception in your case, Mr. Bane, because you are such a valuable commodity. Miss Bishop can remain as she is at this moment, calmly surveying the grounds that surround us, which are quite lovely, I might add. She could also return to her room, and await your return…or I can instruct either Mr. Simmons or Mr. Warner to pick her up and pitch her headfirst through that window there, to plummet to the ground below, an action which would more than likely result in her death. She was fortunate enough to survive that sort of trauma when she was an adolescent, Mr. Bane, but are you willing to wager that she will be able to do so again?"

Cold fear, sudden and all-consuming, seized hold of me, followed closely by blinding, red-hot anger, and I imagined killing him, over and over in my mind while I strove to keep a tight grip on my self-control. "She is fine right where she is, Dr. Adelai. I would hate to see her disturbed, I hate to think about what I might do, were any sort of harm, or calamity, or even a mild discomfort to come her way…you would be wise to bear that in mind, in the future, Doctor, because I might not always be in the mindset to be so, _generous_, if you understand my meaning…I might forget myself, and I think that we both know how dangerous that could be, do we not?"

There it was, that tiny betrayal of fear in his eyes. It was not all that I wanted to see in him, it was not completely satisfying, but it was enough, at least, it was, for the moment.


	6. Tempt the Soul

Chapter Six

Tempt the Soul

Bane's POV

Anger was a familiar emotion for me; there were moments in my life when it had been the one thing that fueled me, the one thing that encouraged me to take each and every breath, to stay alive. There were, and would always be, instances in life, situations which caused fury to grow within me, but it had been awhile since I had allowed myself to be consumed so completely by my temper, and standing there, staring at Dr. Adelai, and imagining tens, no, _hundreds_ of ways in which I might kill him, I felt the control that I worked so hard to maintain slipping away from me, threatening to allow me the liberty to engage in practices that were not all that wise, and would no doubt bring about not only harm to me, but to Malayna as well, which was why I forced myself to grasp my fleeting restraint as tightly as I could, and ignore the primitive urge to maim, to rend, and to destroy the good doctor, no matter how much it hurt to do so.

"Distractions are a liability, Mr. Bane," Dr. Adelai said softly, smiling in that way that set my teeth on edge as he turned to glance at the little mouse, who had her back turned to us, and was obediently gazing out at the scenery, with her arms tucked behind her, one hand clasping the other. "I see that you are still clinging to your irrational desire to act as a savior to every woman who makes calf eyes at you, and that is most unfortunate. It is understandable that you would wish to use a woman, to take comfort in her flesh, but it is most unbecoming, and a sure sign of weakness, to develop any sort of feelings for them…have you learned nothing from your last experience, hmm?"

I took one deep breath, then two, gritting my teeth as tightly as I gripped my hands, my fingertips curling into the fabric of my fancy black pants, and strove, once more, to restrain myself from the tempting task of forcibly removing the doctor's head from its perch atop his neck. I knew that he was deliberately baiting me; after all, it was not as if he was making any effort whatsoever to conceal his efforts, and as such I could not, I _would_ not rise to the bait, no matter how enticing the lure.

"I cannot recall a moment that any woman has ever made 'calf eyes' at me, Dr. Adelai," I said, pleased to hear that my tone revealed very little of the rage that was pumping its way through my body. "And it may be an archaic notion, one that is sexist and chauvinistic, but I believe that we, as men, ought to do all that we can to ensure that the women in our lives are as safe and secure as we can make them. I would prefer that you refrain from referring to any of the women in my life as well, whether you're speaking of Talia, from my past life, or Malayna, from my present, because your doing so is insulting, and enraging, and I do not appreciate your insinuations, nor do I need, nor desire your advice….."

My voice trailed away, and I felt a new surge of anger take hold of me, one that was directed inward, toward my own carelessness and stupidity. I had risen to the bait after all, just as he had wanted me to, and revealed too much about myself. My feelings for Talia were not that much of a secret, I would imagine, given the fact that I had been willing to die for her, along with the rest of Gotham City, in an unforgiving ascent of cleansing and purifying fire, but I liked to believe that what I had with Malayna was, or, rather, _had_ been a secret, and now that no longer belonged to me.

"I must admit that I can't testify to the manner in which Talia al Ghul looked at you, Mr. Bane, but I _can_ tell you that Miss Bishop does indeed look at you in the manner of one who is lovesick, and I'm worried, troubled really, that your relationship with her will serve as a distraction…which is why I've arranged for you to have a new nurse, one who might distract you somewhat, given her ample charms, but will not expect, nor encourage, any sort of attachment beyond that of a purely physical nature."

He gestured to the door behind me and I turned to see a statuesque blonde teeter into the room, her tall frame further elongated by excessively high heels. I suspected that she was the sort of woman who was accustomed to men fawning over her and behaving like fools in her presence, but I found that I was slightly repulsed by her.

Her hair had been bleached to such a degree that it no doubt felt like straw, and would not glide through a man's fingers like silk, but would instead catch on each and every callous that roughened his palm. Her ice blue eyes, so similar to those of the good doctor, were vacuous, devoid of any emotion that would have appealed to me, so different from the big brown eyes I had grown so used to of late. And her figure was overblown, almost grotesque, with massive breasts, an impossibly tiny waist and sun hardened epidermis…she was obviously cheap, one who had provided _pleasure_ to scores of men, and it made me almost physically ill to imagine any sort of intimacy with her, no matter how _unattached_ the encounter might be.

"I already have a nurse," I said, allowing my eyes to meet the vacantly ravenous gaze that the blonde was throwing in my direction, taking extra care to ensure that she did not miss the fact that I found her absolutely repellant. "And I cannot imagine how…..what is your name anyway?"

I did not address her politely, I could see that decorum, no matter how inconsequential, would merely encourage her to believe that I, like all the other men she had encountered, wanted her in every way, in every fashion, in every position that a man could have a woman. She seemed a bit bewildered by my response to her, but she did not appear to be offended by my lack of comportment, however, and I deduced that she had probably never been taught that she ought to expect to be treated like a lady, that quite possibly, she had never actually been a lady herself, and therefore such notions were well beyond her comprehension.

"Bianca Adelai," she said, in a voice that was breathy, and babyish, which did not match her stature at all. No doubt she had practiced it for years, an ersatz tone to match the rest of her, I would imagine. "And I promise that you won't want _her_ once you've seen what I can do for you, Mr. Bane…you'll forgot that she ever existed, I'm willing to bet on that."

Her eyes traveled to the window, where the little mouse stood, and I could see that Malayna had taken notice of the new arrival, reflected in the shiny surface of the window, and for one horrified moment I thought that she meant to turn around and confront the other woman directly, but in the end she stayed as she was…though her hands, which had been entwined, tightened their hold, until her knuckles turned white, and she was taking deep breaths, several of them, which added to the image that she was upset about something, and I flattered myself to imagine that her reaction to Miss Adelai was one of jealousy, of possessiveness, toward me, a notion which brought me a great deal of happiness, working its way through the fire of my temper to pleasantly warm my heart.

"Alright, then, how Miss _Adelai_ could even hope to come close to being what Miss Bishop has been, what she _is_ to me, Doctor. Malayna has brought me through, from the very darkest moments that I have encountered in my life of late, and she is very dear to me, very special, and no one could ever take her place, no one could ever make me forget her, because she is unforgettable, and I will thank you to keep your narcissistic twaddle to yourself, Miss Adelai, lest you encourage me to forget myself and teach you a thing or two about manners."

I turned my attention to Dr. Adelai and was not surprised to see that he was smiling at me. "_Adelai_…is that a common name for this area?" I asked, thinking to myself how wonderful it would be, to wipe that smile from his face, and to take every last blindingly white tooth from his mouth while I did so. "And if it is not, could it be that your earlier admonitions were from personal experience, Doctor, and if that is the case, it is rather hypocritical of you to reprove me on my actions, would you not agree?"

His smile grew, and I had to wonder how it was humanly possible for him to have so many teeth, truly they seemed to stretch from one of his ears to the other. "That will be all, Bianca," he said, waving his hand in dismissal, and she took a moment to pout, and huff angrily, before she turned and left the room.

"My wife Veronica was very beautiful when we were younger, irresistibly so, and yes, I succumbed to the allure that she presented. Times were different then, Mr. Bane, and a well-bred lady never allowed her suitors the liberties that are conducted these days without a second thought. I became obsessed with Veronica, I longed for her day and night, and that was all the provocation that was required to push me into matrimony. I regret the decision, now that she has grown wrinkled and grey and cantankerous, but I am an old-fashioned man, one who clings to the belief that marriage, should you be foolish enough to enter into its covenant, is for life."

He paused just long enough to take a breath, and to stare at the circlet of gold that represented his bond with the formerly radiant, now craggy, worn and belligerent Veronica. "I suppose my actions have been that of a hypocrite, one who fails to practice what he preaches, and it seems that I have misjudged how important Miss Bishop is to you as well…personally I can't see the allure. Could you explain that to me, Mr. Bane?"

The request was a ludicrous one, to say the very least. I did not possess the words that were necessary to describe Malayna to anyone, let alone to a being like Dr. Adelai. Beautiful seemed an understatement, because her loveliness was not merely a physical presence, but one which flowed in her blood and filled her from within. She was not simply kind, and caring, but rather she was one who gave succor and peace of mind, body and soul because she had the heart of a healer. She was in possession of a fine sense of humor, but how could I put into words the way that her eyes danced when she smiled? I simply did not have the skill nor the ability to make him see her the way that I did, and furthermore, I had no desire for him to see her that way, because it was an image, knowledge that belonged to me, and I was selfish enough to refuse anyone else the pleasure of knowing her as I did.

"I do not wish to speak about Malayna behind her back, and I would prefer to keep our conversation free of personal anecdotes and observations, if it is all the same to you, Doctor," I said, aiming for a tone that was nonchalant, bored even, a task that I was almost successful in achieving, aside from the smallest telling tremor in my voice, one which made him smile once more. "Perhaps this would be an ideal time for you to explain where I fit into your plans, would you not agree?"

I could see that he was not particularly pleased that I was the one making the decisions, but he shrugged my impudence away easily enough, perhaps because I was such a valuable commodity, as he had told me before. "Very well, Mr. Bane, let us speak of business, yes? I greatly admired your actions in Gotham City, as well as those of the cunningly beautiful Miss al Ghul, but I must say that I was a tad disappointed to see that you had set your goal so low, to affect just the one city, when the entire world lay potentially helpless at your fingertips."

It was my turn to feel disenchantment, because I had so hoped to hear a plan that was refreshingly novel, no matter how insane, but all he had to offer was the same tedious megalomania which seemed to grasp hold of all of those who longed for supreme power. Why was it always the entire world? What did they hope to accomplish through global domination? Did they not realize that they would soon tire of the status quo, and would not be satisfied until they conquered the entire galaxy, and even if they managed to accomplish that impossibility, they would soon grow bored of that as well?

"I did not wish to own the world, Dr. Adelai, and neither did Talia al Ghul. I cannot explain what motivated us, I cannot make you see, nor understand the goal that lay behind our actions. Suffice it to say that we overestimated some facets of our plan, just as we underestimated others, and leave it at that, if you please, Doctor."

He chuckled at my response, much in the manner of one who finds your answer childish and naïve, but endearing none the less. "If that is the way you would prefer to proceed with this conversation, Mr. Bane," he said, gesturing to the seat that I had vacated earlier, indicating that I ought to sit once more. I would have preferred to stay on my feet, so as not to feel quite as vulnerable, but it was a small request for him to make, and more than that, I was growing tired and had no desire to accidently topple onto the floor.

"You may not have longed for world domination then, but I believe that I can make the notion much more palatable to you now," he said, settling back into a black, plush chair that either Mr. Simmons or Mr. Warner kindly fetched for him. "You will be my second-in-command, Mr. Bane, answerable only to me, loyal only to me. You will share in my rewards, in my victories, and you will have power unlike any you've known before…just imagine what we could accomplish, if we were to work together."

So he wished to offer me domination? I had no need for it. He promised rewards and victories? They were of no use to me. As for power, well, I will only say that I have seen, time and again, what that does to a man, how it twists and corrupts him time and again. He wanted my obedience and loyalty, as if I were a dog, and I could not imagine slipping any sort of collar, no matter how gilded, around my neck and handing him the leash with which to control me. All that I wanted was to be free from pain, to be free period, with Malayna by my side, so that I might enjoy a little peace and quiet with her, with no concerns and not a care in the world. It was an impossible dream, I knew that, but it was one that I liked to entertain none the less.

"I believe that your proposal is an old one, Dr. Adelai," I said, shifting my weight in my chair and grimacing when a sharp bolt of pain rocketed its way throughout my body. "It has that air to it, one of iniquity and impiety that warns me that if I were to accept, I might be in mortal danger of losing my soul…is that what you had in mind, Doctor? And is that what your agreement to heal my broken body hinges upon, my acquiescence to take my place at your feet, to act as your faithful watchdog, because if that is the case, please allow me to save us both from any further embarrassment by taking my leave now….."

"Calm down, Mr. Bane," he said, raising his hands in front of his chest, in a manner that suggested that he was surrendering to me, though I knew better than to believe him. "This is merely a preliminary discussion, the first of many, and rest assured that I don't expect you to make up your mind right now. As for your treatment, that is a guarantee, no matter what you decide. I've said it before, you are a thoroughbred, a valuable commodity, and it is truly a shame to see you as you are right now. So, we will strengthen your body, and then you will receive as many operations as necessary to bring you back to your prime, and all that I require in return for these services is a promise that you will seriously consider my offer, that you won't simply brush it aside, because it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mr. Bane, one that many would gladly kill for, one that….."

I was reminded, yet again, that I was not the first to hear this particular speech, and therefore I tuned him out. I already knew that there was nothing that he could say that would persuade me to accept his offer. I would gladly take advantage of being made whole. I knew that there was no one else in existence who possessed that power who was also willing to repair a _monster_ like me, so his proposal was an irresistible one, one that I would eagerly grasp, and once I was back in my prime, I would squeeze the life from him with my bare hands, and both Malayna and I would be free. All it would take was a little playacting on my part, and that was not so difficult, was it?

Malayna's POV

I would imagine that most people would ooh and ahh over the scenery that I'd been surveying while Bane and Dr. Adelai had their introductory chat with one another, but personally I didn't find anything to get all gaga about, nervous and terrified, yes, but not gaga. This room was high above the ground, and showed a vast, crystalline lake that stretched out as far as the eye could see, and I knew that there were those who would gush that the view was majestic and beautiful, but that was simply because they didn't know any better.

I knew better, I wished with all of my heart that I didn't, but that didn't stop the fact that I did. I knew that heights were dangerous, and standing there at the window, looking down, my knees grew shaky and weak, and felt, for just a moment, as though they might not be able to hold me up. High places were not majestic, they signified death, and they represented a long, terrifying drop, one that seemed to go on for hours while you screamed until your throat grew raw. I knew this fact, even if no one else did; I knew that it was an unchanging, unfair gospel of truth that would haunt me until the day that I died.

Large bodies of water signified water sports to many, and there were those who loved the sounds and smells of a lake, but not me. I hated to be close to the water, it was something that filled me with dread and made me break out in a cold sweat. I didn't see the lake as a thing of beauty, I saw it as a massive beast waiting to devour any and all who wandered too close to its surface. I knew that its depths were dark and frigid, and that it waited, patiently, for the opportunity to swallow and destroy all those who dared to pierce its glittering façade, whether intentionally or by accident. I knew that this was true, I knew what it was capable of, and I had to wonder if Dr. Adelai had sensed this fear in me, and had placed me where he had to put me in my place, to punish me…..

Suddenly I felt a hand resting on my neck and drew in a deep breath, in anticipation of screaming, until I realized that the touch was gentle, that the hand holding me was large and calloused and very familiar to me, and I settled for exhaling shakily as I turned to look at Bane, and fought the urge to launch myself into his arms so that he might comfort me.

I could easily imagine that the same people who would say that the view from the window was majestic and beautiful would also say that Bane was dangerous, that he was a soulless, brutal terrorist and murderer, and would say that I was a fool to believe that he had been these things, but that he wasn't any longer. They would scoff at me, they would pity me, some might even despise me, but then, what did they know anyway? They were the ones who thought that heights were majestic and lakes were beautiful, so why should I care what they thought?

"Are you alright, Malayna?" he asked, the look in his eyes conveying a sudden anxiety as it took hold of him. "You are as white as a sheet, my dear. I am sorry if I frightened you, it was certainly not my intention to do so."

I watched his mouth shape each word slowly, and thought to myself, for what had to have been the hundredth time, at the very least, that he had the most beautiful lips that I had ever seen on a man. I couldn't even begin to count how many mouths I had studied since I'd lost my hearing, but there were enough to make me feel like a connoisseur, of sorts, and I knew that his were exceptionally gorgeous…and wonderfully soft, as they passionately moved against mine, kissing me until I was breathless and unaware that anything else existed…..

"And now you are red, like a lovely rose," he said, all traces of anxiety fleeing his gaze, replaced by humor, and what looked suspiciously like pleasure. "Perhaps I startled you initially, but now you are thinking of something else, am I right? You are imagining something that you believe to be forbidden, a secret, perhaps, and I think that the best thing for you to do would be to share that confidentiality with me, Malayna…tell me what it is that has made you blush, my dear."

I wanted to, I really and truly wanted to throw all caution and concern to the wind, and tell him the reason that I reacted to him, even though I suspected that he already knew, but in the end my nerves got the best of me. _That blonde woman was pretty_, I said, which was an out-and-out lie, as least it was as far as my opinion was concerned, but it provided me with a convenient way to shift the topic from me and my red face, so I eagerly seized hold of it. _I suppose that she's taking my place, isn't she_?

I would have liked to have closed my eyes and shook my head, so that I might chastise and berate myself for allowing such a stupid remark to shape its way over my lips, but he was watching me too closely, and taking too much obvious delight in my words for me to oblige him any further. I just wasn't any good at this whole infatuation thing, I was still like an empty-headed, giggly adolescent girl in so many ways, and it was humiliating, to say the very least, to find myself constantly displaying my immaturity in front of Bane, especially since he seemed to enjoy it so much.

"I would imagine that there would be several men who would find her desirable," he said, tracing his hand from its hold on the back of my neck around to my cheek as he moved to stand directly in front of me. "Just as I know that she is prettier than some women, on par with others, though not nearly as lovely as a select few that I have seen with my own eyes. And no, she will not be taking your place, my dear, not now, not ever. Such a thing is impossible, she would never be allowed to even try…do you understand what I am saying to you, Malayna?"

I knew without a shadow of a doubt what I _hoped_ he was saying, but it was doubtful that his words had held that meaning. He was simply possessive of me because he knew that he could trust me, he knew that I would never do anything to harm him, nor would I stand by and allow any others to hinder his recovery. It was a confidence in my character and my abilities that made him want me by his side, and possibly a feeling of camaraderie as well…nothing more and nothing less.

_You're saying that I won't be going anywhere, anytime soon_, I said, feeling my knees weaken when he moved his thumb, tracing it over my lips as they moved to form my words. _You're saying that I am a fine nurse, that you have no complaints about my job performance, and that you would not feel as comfortable with her as you do with me, is that right_?

He smiled; perhaps he even chuckled, and then shook his head at me. "No, my dear, you most definitely will not 'be going anywhere, anytime soon'. Your place is here with me, and not just because you are a 'fine nurse'. And while it is true that I 'have no complaints' with the way that you do your work, and while I would never 'feel as comfortable with her' as I feel with you, these things have nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that your place is with me, Malayna. I know that you know better than this, I can see that in your eyes, so please tell me why…why do I want you here with me?"

Several moments passed without another word being spoken by either of us, and then he leaned forward and placed his face beside mine, turning his head, so that his lips rested on my cheek. "_Why_?" he breathed, his mouth soft, his breath warm on my skin, and for a moment time seemed to stand still and I marveled at my ability to stay on my feet, when it seemed like it would be the most natural thing in the world to fall forward into his arms instead.

"I d-don't know," I stammered, driven to speak aloud, because I knew that he couldn't watch me shape my words at that moment, and also, deep down, because I knew that he liked me to do so, that it pleased him when I did, and also, even deeper down, because he'd told me that I had a lovely voice. "I'm too afraid t-to say."

He moved back to look at me for a moment, and then embraced my face with his hands. "Which answer is the honest one, my dear? Do you genuinely not know, or are you simply too scared to put a voice to your belief…which one is the truth, Malayna?"

I stared into his eyes and was tempted to hide from him, but his hands held my face steady and wouldn't let me turn. I might have tried to close my eyes as well, had I not been mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze, and in the end I knew that this was one time that I would have to face my fears, this was one instance where there was nowhere that I could hide…and amazingly enough, I was somewhat grateful for that fact.

"I know w-what I would like the reason t-to be," I said, grateful for the fact that I couldn't hear the trembling in my voice, though I could feel it, and it embarrassed me. "And I am also t-too scared to voice my b-belief, Bane…I'm too afraid to know w-what you might say to me, if I were t-to tell you the truth."

He held my gaze for a moment longer and then he leaned forward, moving his hands to my shoulders as his lips caressed a path across my right cheek, then my left and straightened once more to look at me and smile. "I think that we both know what my reason for wanting you to stay is; just as we both know why you've chosen to stay by my side. There is no reason for you to fear voicing your feelings with me, Malayna; you may find that they harmonize quite nicely with my own, which means that there is nothing for you to be afraid of, when you tell me the truth."

He pulled me close, slowly drawing me into his arms, his face bending, his eyes closing, an action that I mimicked, holding my breath…only to be confused moments later when the lights in the room started to flash on and off in a furious rhythm and I turned to see Dr. Adelai watching us, with the most curious, and terrifying expression on his face.


	7. Do For Others and Let Others Do for You

Chapter Seven

Do For Others and Let Others Do for You

Malayna's POV

Bane was a massive, unmovable force when he wanted to be, and I discovered that it was a little intimidating to go toe to toe with him, but what other choice did I have? He was being stubborn, truth be told he was behaving like an obstinate, headstrong jackass, and I'd had all that I wanted to take of his attitude. I didn't know what Dr. Adelai had said to him to make him so angry, he had hid me behind his body when we'd discovered the doctor watching us, but whatever words he'd spoken had infuriated Bane, had enraged him to a point that he was literally shaking with the force of his anger as we'd made our way back to his room.

"You need to eat your lunch, take your m-medicine and rest before we do any sort of physical therapy, Bane," I said firmly, leaning my head back so that I could look into his eyes, which were fiery with the heat of his temper, pleased that there were less stumbles and hesitations in my words, though I couldn't say for certain whether or not I'd managed to obtain an authoritative tone, as I'd wished to, or not. "There will be plenty of time for w-work later on; right now you need to relax."

He moved closer to me, so that he could not only look down on me, but so that he could also _hover_ over while doing so. "I am not a child, Malayna; therefore I do _not_ need to take a nap. What I need to do is to work hard, so that I might reach my optimum strength as quickly as possible. The good doctor refuses to fix me until I am at my peak once more, and I will not reach my full potential if I continue this schedule of meals and medication and siestas. Do not try to defy me, my dear…my mind is made up and will not be swayed, not by you or any other, are we clear on that, hmm?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that he was doing a splendid job of behaving like a child, despite his offense that I was treating him like one, but I kept that little zinger to myself. There were moments when it was acceptable to be a smartass, and other times when it was not only unacceptable, but it was also downright foolish to behave in such a fashion, and I had a good idea that this was one of those latter moments, though I was determined not to back down either.

"Yes, I _am_ going to d-defy you," I said, wishing that I could hear my tone at that moment, because it had to have been right on the money for sounding like a scolding mother, given the priceless expression that had just come over his face. "And my doing so is in your best interests, whether you will swallow your pride enough to admit it or n-not…I will _not_ simply stand aside and allow you to hinder your recovery, no matter how much you bully me, Bane, and the sooner that you accept that fact, the b-better off we will both be….."

He moved another step toward me, standing so close that I could feel his body pressed against mine, and my neck started to ache as I tilted it back even further, determined to keep my hold on his eyes, even though my voice had failed me the instant I felt his muscular body rub against mine in a sensual act of aggression and dominance.

"I have not given you leave to defy me, Malayna, and I will not be doing so anytime soon either," he said slowly, placing one hand on each side of my body, against the wall that was behind me, an action which trapped me between two hard, unmovable surfaces. "My desires have nothing whatsoever to do with my pride, and I am certainly not foolish enough to engage in any activities that might 'hinder' my recovery, nor am I a bully, my dear, and I will not accept _anything_ beyond that which is my own idea…and the sooner that _you_ accept that fact, the better off _you_ will be."

I would imagine that it was a source of irritation for most people, to have their words twisted and used against them, to belittle them and make them feel like fools, and I was no different. I also didn't appreciate him trapping me the way that he had, I didn't like the fact that he was using his superior size and strength against me, but no matter which way I went, I found that there was no escape to be had, and I started to feel an old, familiar and hated panic rising to life within me.

"Why are you doing this, Malayna?" he asked, bending down to place his forehead against mine. "Can you not see that I am right, that my way is the best one, my dear? Why do you insist on bringing out the worst in me with your mulish tenacity?"

Oh, of course, why didn't I see that one coming? None of this was his fault, he wasn't responsible for behaving the way that he was. _He_ was right, _his _way was best, not mine. _I_ was the one who was bringing the bully in him to life, not him, because I was filled with an annoying overabundance of '_mulish tenacity_'. Damn, he was really full of it, wasn't he? He was infuriating and a bully, he was mule headed and condescending and…..and it was really starting to distract me, the way that he kept rubbing his forehead against mine, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he followed that move with a whisper soft caress of his lips along my hairline, an action which served the purpose of thoroughly distracting me, if only for a moment.

"I'm doing this because I want to ensure that you don't p-push yourself too far, too fast, and do yourself more harm than good," I said, painfully aware of the fact that my voice probably reflected the effect that he was having on me, no matter how much I wished to keep that knowledge from him. "You're too fixated on the big picture to see that it w-will take time to reach your goals safely, and that is why I am insisting that you take things slowly, that you allow me to care for you as best as I know how. And as far as which of us is mulish and tenacious…well, I think that we both know that it isn't me, don't we, Bane?"

I thought that I felt him chuckle, it seemed to be there, in the rumbling of his chest, and in his breath, warm and stirring on my skin, and try though I might, I just couldn't help but think back to the moment that Dr. Adelai had interrupted, the one that would have had him kissing me, and I tried to wrap my head around the notion that I was the one he'd wanted to embrace, I was in possession of the lips that he'd wanted to taste…me, not Talia al Ghul.

He moved back away from me, giving me room to move, room to breathe, and I ought to have straightened myself and taken advantage of his thoughtfulness, but for some reason I moved toward him instead. How odd that I would choose to do so of my own volition, having initially resented his heavy-handed tactics, but once I'd moved, the damage was done, and I couldn't take it back, even if I'd wanted to…which I didn't.

"I let go too quickly, did I?" he asked, moving close to me, so that he could slowly slide his arms around me, bringing me near, in a warm and comforting cuddle. "I thought that I might have been pushing myself where I was not wanted, my dear, though I will gladly hold you, for as long as you will let me, or for as long as you wish for me to do so."

I couldn't remember the last time that I'd been held in someone's arms, though I remembered that someone had been my Granny, and nothing about her embrace even vaguely resembled the one that I found myself enveloped in at that moment. He was so strong, despite his recent convalescence, his arms were massive, and felt wonderful, wrapped tightly around my body. I wasn't certain how much of myself I should give to his embrace, it seemed that the wise thing to do would have been to hold back somewhat, but I just couldn't help but give myself over wholeheartedly, to practically melt into his arms, and surprisingly enough, that seemed to be a response that he appreciated, if his reciprocating motions were any indication.

His hold on me began as one that was comforting, but slowly transformed into one that was something else altogether. While it was true that I was naïve when it came to intimacy with men, and while I was untouched, I was savvy enough to recognize the change that was taking place in his body, and it was heady knowledge, to say the very least, to realize that I was the one who'd done this to him, _me_, and not Talia, and not that bleached blonde bimbo masquerading as a nurse.

His hands moved up from around my waist, sliding up my back, and he pulled away from me just a bit as he embraced my face between his palms, smiling down at me in a way that caused the most curious flutter to occur within me, one that started in the vicinity of my heart and hopped downward, to concentrate itself between my thighs.

"Such a lovely woman," he said, bending his head to trace his mouth along my forehead, and then press a soft kiss to the tip of my nose. "How fortunate I am to hold you in my arms…what would you say if I were to suggest that you and I agree to a compromise, my dear?"

The sudden change in the conversation threw me off-balance for a moment, and to be perfectly honest, it irritated me just a little bit as well, until I realized that the day was slipping away from us and I was neglecting what he truly needed for what I wanted. His care had to be my first priority, not my racing heart, not the desire to feel his lips on mine, so those things would just have to go to the back of my mind…a task that I prayed wouldn't prove to be easier said than done.

"What sort of compromise?" I asked warily, reluctant to concur or oppose his suggestion until I heard all of the terms.

"The sort that says that I will agree to have my lunch, as well as my medication, and rest afterward, if you will promise to work with me this evening, after we've had dinner. I want to begin as soon as possible, Malayna, and I give you my word that I will not push myself, 'too far, too fast'…do we have an agreement, my dear?"

"Yes, we do," I answered without another moment of hesitation. He seemed genuine in his promises, and he'd yet to give me any reason to distrust him, so why shouldn't I give him what he wanted?

I started to pull away from him, to ready our lunch and his dose of medication, but his arms tightened around me and hindered my escape. "Not yet, Malayna," he said, pulling me back against him chest, simply to hold me, and for the next little while showed me how wonderful it felt to be cuddled by someone who expected nothing more from you, by someone who was content to snuggle you close in his arms as if it was the most natural, and important thing in the world…as if _you_ were the center of his universe.

Bane's POV

I was exhausted when the day came to an end, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow and fully expected to sleep like one who was departed for at least eight hours without moving, which was why it came as such a surprise when I awakened with a start at three o'clock. For a moment I laid still beneath my covers, wondering what had woken me, because I could not recall any dream that might have upset me enough to wake me, and then I heard a noise, one that sounded like a muffled sob, and realized that it was coming from Malayna's room.

It was not easy to get up out of my bed, but I managed to do so fairly quickly none the less, because I knew that she needed me, and there was no way that I was not going to go to her. I pulled myself up, using my aching arms and force of will to find the floor with my feet, muttering and cursing beneath my breath the entire time, and as soon as I made contact I started stumbling my way across the room, miraculously avoiding the complete catastrophe of tumbling to the ground in the process.

I did not stop to knock when I reached her door, I simply barged in, pausing just long enough to turn the overhead light on in its lowest setting, which bathed the room in a very soft illumination and my eyes searched all over, all around, expecting an adversary of some sort to reveal itself, only to find nothing, no one, save for my little mouse, who was clearly in the grasp of an upsetting nightmare, the sort which had caused tears to course down her cheeks, and cries of distress to escape her, despite the fact that she was still sound asleep.

I felt like an interloper, and even worse, I felt like an intrusive fool, staring at her from the door, my gaze zeroing in on her bare leg, which was peeking out from beneath her covers. Apparently I was not only a trespasser; I was an ogler as well. This had not been my intention when I burst into her room, I had made my decisions based on a desire to protect her, but standing there as I was, watching her while she struggled, I was reminded of all of the moments that had passed between us of late, and I could not look away from her, I could not return to my own room, no matter that I knew I ought to.

I slowly made my way to the side of her bed, feeling very out of place as I looked around and took in all of the blatantly feminine décor, the sights and smells that affirmed, without question, that a woman resided in this room, a female who clearly enjoyed comfort and beauty provided by things that were colorful and frilly and had a pleasing aroma. I could not imagine any man feeling comfortable in these sorts of surroundings, and I imagined that I especially stood out like a sore thumb.

She was thrashing back and forth on the bed and what had begun as coursing tears were now choking sobs, pleas mixed with moans of terror, and I quickly reached the point where I could not stand watching her in pain any longer. I did not stop to think about my actions, and whether they were wise or not, I simply acted on instinct when I reached the bedside and pulled back the covers, slipping between them as if I had every right to do so, then pulling her into my arms, so that I might comfort her.

In hindsight I could see that my actions could be called foolish, potentially dangerous even, had she believed me to be one who meant to cause her pain, but instead she simply woke with a start, much as I had done a short while before, and her eyes were wild, terrified, for a just a moment, then she saw that it was me and practically threw herself against me, her arms winding tight around my neck while her leg did the same 'round my waist, making me instantly, acutely, and viscerally aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and panties…and that certain parts of her were very hard and certain parts of her were very soft as they pressed against my body and caused a reaction to take place that was very inappropriate, but inevitable none the less.

"There now, do not cry, my sweet," I murmured, even though I knew she could not hear me, and that it was doubtful that she could read my lips in the dim light. "It was just a dream, Malayna, and it is over now. Please do not cry, my dear, I cannot abide your weeping."

I supposed that it was best that she could not hear my words; otherwise she might have mistaken their meaning. I did not mean that I could not tolerate her tears because that sort of display of emotion was unpalatable to me. What I had meant was that it hurt me, to see her in pain, and know that my resources for helping her were limited to that which was a physical comfort, and my libido was interfering on each and every noble intention that I had where that endeavor was concerned.

"D-don't leave me, Bane," she said, pulling herself closer to me, an action that I would not have believed was possible, until I felt her warmth, as well as the parts which were hard and those which were soft, even more intimately. "P-please don't leave me too."

I was not certain who had left her in her dream, but she was clearly devastated to have lost them, and I was determined to show her, to prove to her that I was there to stay, that I was not going anywhere. "I will never leave you, Malayna," I said, moving back just a little, so that she could see my face and hopefully trace the words as they left my mouth. "You will not be rid of me anytime soon, I can promise you that, so please do not give it another thought…please do not cry."

That was the third time that I had made that particular plea, though, as far as I knew, this was the first time that she had actually been aware of me doing so. She nodded in response, smiling tremulously, then burrowed her face against my neck, next to my shoulder, and started crying all over again, and I clasped her close in desperation, unsure of what I ought to do next…until I became aware of exactly what I wanted to do, I just was not certain whether I ought to, or whether I had the right to or not.

I thought back to the kiss that we'd shared, with me in my bed, and her sitting beside me. I brought to mind all of the times since then, when we had almost repeated that embrace, and recalled that all of those times had involved me wanting to kiss her, amazingly enough, when I had expected to live my entire life loving Talia…right up until the moment that the fire ascended and consumed me, along with the rest of Gotham City, but all of that was in the past now, as I held Malayna in my arms and realized that I had no choice but to kiss her, that I simply could not allow another moment to pass us by without my lips meeting, reacquainting, tasting and claiming hers as those which belonged to me.

"I'm s-sorry, Bane," she sniffled, then exhaled against my neck, and I sensed a tremor racing its way through me when I felt her breath, warm as it caressed across my skin. "I'm trying to stop; t-truly I am….."

I did not let her finish, I did not stop to ask for permission, lest she refuse me, I simply acted, pulling away from her just enough to allow me to grasp her face with my hands, and placed my lips against hers, a soft, searching embrace, one that resembled that of a first kiss, which, when I thought about it, made sense, because this was the first time that I had kissed _her_ with every intention of doing just that, and once more I discovered that she was unique, she was special, because this, like everything else, was something that she did wholeheartedly, with no hesitation and nothing held back, and I found that it was something that I could quickly become accustomed to…addicted to, even.

She whimpered, unconsciously, I was willing to wager, and arched against me, and the primal part of my consciousness urged me to turn, so that she would be lying on her back, it incited me to cover her body with my own and mark her as thoroughly as I could as one who belonged to me, but I resisted the drive to give in to my primitive side. This was not the time, nor was it the place to seduce her. She needed comforting, and, I hoped, an affirmation of my feelings for her, a declaration that had been denied over and over again, and though it was difficult, I managed to resist my baser desires, and concentrated all of my attention on the joining of our lips, and the stirring emotions that the kiss inspired within me.

She held nothing back, I do not think that it even dawned on her that such a thing was possible, and, with most people, was preferable. She simply wound her arms around my neck, her fingers sliding into, and twining about my shortened hair, and returned the kiss with every last ounce of her own passion and regard for me. I realized the depth of her feelings for me in that moment, the emotions that I had seen hints of, time and again, which she had tried to hide from me, and it was staggering, and heartening, frightening and enlivening, to know she felt as she did, despite my past, in spite of the man that I had been.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I had intended to keep this kiss as chaste as possible, an idea which, in hindsight, seemed to embody the utmost in foolishness and futility, but as fortune would have it, she did not seem to be wrestling with the same ridiculous notions of nobility. She tightened her hold on my hair, and pressed her soft, warm body even closer to me, constricting her leg, the one that was wrapped around my backside, as the tip of her tongue slid between my lips and drew a groan from me as I fought, once more, against the urge to escalate my attentions toward her.

Her movements were shy, touchingly so, and I kept my own response as tame as I possibly could, meeting her caress with one of my own, tentatively tasting and memorizing this new facet of her, moments ticking by agonizingly fast and torturously slow until finally I forced myself to back away from the embrace. My self-control was better than that of most others, but it was not without boundaries, and I was swiftly and surely approaching the edge of what I could sway to my command at that moment.

I worried that she might misinterpret my grasp at self-restraint as a rejection of sorts, but all the concerns of that nature fled when I saw the way that she smiled at me, and the warm glow in her eyes, the one that said that she was pleased, ecstatic even, if I allowed myself a tiny bit of conceited pride. I could easily imagine that my own face more likely than not mirrored hers, I could feel the smile curling my lips in response to her beam of pleasure, and it was the most natural thing in the world to bend my head and kiss the tip of her nose as I settled into my place in her bed, eager to capture as much sleep as I could before it was time to wake for the day.

"I do not wish to return to my own bed," I explained, finding that I was much more comfortable as I was than I had been in a long time, if ever. "I trust that you will not insist of being missish and insist that I do so, after the intimacy that we just shared with one another…will you?"

There was an air of something that sounded suspiciously like desperation in my voice that I did not care for, and it dawned on me, a moment after the words had left my mouth that I undoubtedly sounded childish, presumptuous and condescending to her, when I had not had any intention of conveying any of those feelings, but in the end she soothed my worries by smiling and lifting her face so that she could press her lips, in a soft caress, against mine.

"I don't want you to go back to your b-bed when you can sleep here with me instead," she said, laying her hand on my chest, right over the spot where my heart still pounded harder than it usually did. "And no, I have no intention of behaving _missishly_, not now, not ever, just so long as you promise that you won't apologize for the 'intimacy that we shared with one another' w-when we wake up in the morning."

Her words took me by surprise and hindered my ability to speak. I was not accustomed to being speechless, but that was exactly the condition that I found myself in, and by the time that I had thought of a response she had already fallen asleep, with one arm twined around my neck, and the other hand resting on my chest, protecting my heart.

I found myself smiling as I stared at the ceiling, cuddling my little mouse close in my arms, reveling in the memory of our kiss, which still lingered on my lips, and the knowledge that she was mine, her kindness and her beauty, her heart and her smile, her warmth and her softness, as well as the spots that hardened. No, I would not apologize in the morning, because I would not be sorry for what had happened…I would be too busy devising a way to make it happen again.


	8. A Hold on Me

Chapter Eight

A Hold on Me

Bane's POV

I had always been a physical being, one who strove for, and obtained, corporeal excellence, but now I was a ghost of my former self, now I was weak and enervated, and forced to shuffle about my room in the manner of a feeble old man, when days past would have found me training for hours at a time. There were numerous instances that I wanted to snap in anger at my little mouse while she offered me her assistance, and even more occasions when I wanted to give in to my desire to feel sorry for myself as I tried, and failed, to push myself just a little harder, but I resisted the urge. I had no tolerance for whining, no patience for those who gave up, and I certainly was not going to allow myself to sink to the depths of those that I loathed, and conduct myself in the manner of those that I abhorred, not while I had a breath of life left in my damaged, yet determined, body.

"You're doing great, Bane," my one-woman cheering section murmured, walking beside me, but not holding onto me, unless I bade her to do so, in a considerate bid to allow me to retain as much of my dignity as I could while I moved at a snail's pace around the perimeter of my bedroom. "We'll take t-two more turns, and then it will be time for you to rest, okay?"

She was trying to make a compromise with me, rather than simply ordering me about, and I appreciated the gesture, but I did not miss the authoritative tone of her voice either, the one that practically dared me to try to defy her, and I might have been tempted to do just that had she not been smiling up at me in a way that reminded me of the beam that she had bestowed on me right after I had kissed her early that morning, a smile which, needless to say, completely distracted me from any notion that I might have had about being a difficult patient.

"Thank you, my dear," I answered automatically, even as part of me, a rebellious spirit that was buried deep beneath my attraction toward the tantalizingly lovely Miss Bishop, cried out for me to give in to my desire to be defiant. "A little rest is just what I need…provided that you will acquiesce to lay down with me while I take my nap, that is."

I was willing to compromise, but with that cooperation came a condition of my own, and I wondered if she was willing to lie down once more, and allow me to hold her close in my arms, in order to get me to rest the way that she wanted me to. I suppose it was a little underhanded of me, to make such a request, and I could not say for certain that I would be willing, and what is more, able, to control my emotions and my desires once I had her right where I wanted her, but I _could_ say with every absolute certainty that I was not going to take my nap unless she was there for me to hold, my own soft and cuddly, warm and sweet little teddy bear.

I watched her closely while she read my words, and I marveled in the hint of pink as it tinted her cheeks with the telltale signature of embarrassment. That was a sight that pleased me, especially paired, as it was, with eyes that were shimmering with pleasure and a beguiling smile, the sort that she normally would have tried to hide from me, but which she was kind enough to bestow upon me with all of its lovely luminosity, an act in itself which would have convinced me to fulfill her every wish, even if she chose to refuse my request.

"Will you be able to get any sleep if I do?" she asked quietly, her blush deepening when I smiled at her. "Wouldn't you r-rest easier by yourself?"

I had not gotten enough sleep the night before, but that had not been because she had been lying next to me. The truth of the matter was that I had slept better in her bed than I had in years, possibly better than I ever had before. The morning sun had awakened me, warm on my face, and that had been a surprise for me, and amazingly enough, it had been a pleasant shock.

My own room was always dark, and all throughout my life I'd lived out of the reach of the sun. I had ventured out of doors plenty of times since I had been rescued by Râ's al Ghûl, but all of my lairs where I took whatever rest I could grasp, had been buried in the earth, in one way or the other, and I could not help but be taken aback by the fact that I enjoyed being wakened by the sun, and I knew that it was because I had been in her bed, because being with her tended to change everything in my life.

"I will rest easiest with you in my arms," I said, then stumbled, and nearly lost my balance when she stopped in her tracks, with a suddenness that I attempted to mimic, though my feet had other plans, hence my near mishap, an occurrence which made my own cheeks flush with embarrassment.

There had been a startling moment of panic that morning, when I woke to find that she was not in the bed with me. My arms had felt strange to me, they had felt as though there ought to have been something, some_one_ filling them. I had rolled toward the place where she had laid, the spot where she had slept the night away in my embrace, and I had groaned when I felt the remnants of her warmth clinging to the sheets. Even better and even worse was that her smell was redolent in the cotton fibers, the soft and sexy, fragrant and feminine scent that belonged solely to her, to Malayna, the one that made my mouth water and my heart beat faster.

"Neither one of us will get much rest at all, if you fall and hurt yourself any w-worse than you already are," she scolded, turning back, so that she could take hold of my arm and aid my attempt to stay on my feet. It was shameless of me to do so, but I could not keep myself from leaning in close to her, so that I might draw in, and appreciate, her smell, an act which took me right back to my memories of that morning, lying by myself in her bed.

I remembered lying still, filling my nose with her, groaning beneath my breath, a moan that turned to a growl as I had curled the tips of my fingers into her bedding. I remembered thinking to myself that I could stay as I was at that moment for hours, simply enjoying and reveling in that connection with her, but the new day had arrived, whether I had wanted it to or not, so I had forced myself to roll over onto my back and forget any and all of the lascivious thoughts that had entered my mind, only to have her bring them back full force as she had approached the bed to help me start my day…..

"Are you s-still here with me, Bane?" she asked in a voice that was rife with humor, bringing me back to the present with a start. I turned my attention to her, and smiled when I saw her take a deep breath beneath the intensity of my gaze, then drew a fortifying breath into my own lungs when I felt her small hand tighten on my arm, her fingertips caressing my skin, right above my elbow. "You seemed to leave me for a m-moment."

I had not truly left her, why on earth would I want to do something that was so foolish and painful? I had simply lost myself in my memories for a moment, but then it dawned on me that I had a choice. I could savor and revel within the reminiscences of that morning, which was a very pleasant pastime, or I could go about making new memories with her, ones that would be on file within my heart and my mind in the future…that is, if she would allow me to do so.

"I did not apologize when I awakened this morning," I said, reminding her of the words that she had spoken to me before she had fallen back to sleep. "And I do not intend to do so, because I am not sorry for what happened between us, Malayna. That being said, it dawned on me just now that you have not given me a kiss today. It is too much for me to ask that you give me at least one before we go to sleep, together, my dear?"

She looked away from me and smiled, then made a sound that might have been a giggle, but it was so softly emitted that I could not say for certain what it had been. She smiled at me quite a bit, she was a person who seemed to be genuinely happy, for the most part, but I had not heard her truly laugh, and it was a sound that I was determined to draw from her, in one way or another, therefore I told myself that she _had_ giggled, just not boisterously as I would have liked, which meant that I had to keep trying.

"I'm very glad that you didn't apologize, because I'm n-not sorry either," she said, turning back toward me and helping me to steady myself before she slid her arms around my neck and leaned into the embrace, linking her hands, so that they rested at the back of my head. "And you could have kissed me at any time, you know? I certainly wouldn't have turned you down…I just have to wonder if one kiss will be enough for both of us. Don't you think that we'll need three, maybe even five, before we'll feel like we've h-had enough?"

Once again, I found that I was speechless, I discovered that she had a talent for taking away my ability to speak, but I was not likely to complain anytime soon, because she had risen onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against mine before I could even form an answer in my mind, let alone speak it aloud, and I decided that now was not the best time for conversation anyway. This was the moment that said that I could enjoy intimacy with her, that I could spend a good amount of time exploring her, and learning everything about her that did not necessitate that we removed our clothing, because it was much too soon for that.

"One kiss will never be enough for me, my dear," I said, pulling back just enough to ensure that I had room to grasp her face between my palms. "Nor will three, nor five, not even ten…I am thinking that we will need twenty, at the very least, before I will feel as though _I_ have had enough."

There it was again, that tiny giggle, as my lips found, and claimed hers once more. It was good to know that I had not imagined it, even better was the fact that I had inspired her to express herself more freely, but still it was not enough. There was a genuine, honest to goodness laugh in her, I knew there was, and I was determined to bring it out of her, but not then, I had too much to do at the moment, but there would be plenty of time later on, after I had enjoyed all twenty of our kisses…maybe even more, if I could talk her into it.

Malayna's POV

In the end we'd lost count of how many kisses we'd shared, truth be told I hadn't even bothered to keep track after the third time that his lips had commandeered mine. The reason could have been because I hadn't been all that concerned by the number, but the truth of the matter was that he'd slid his tongue into my mouth during that third kiss, an act which had effectively turned my mind to mush, and I was too busy thoroughly enjoying all of the things that he was making me feel to keep track…it was a wonder that sleeping was all that we'd done once we'd reached his bed.

_Well now, what do you have to say for yourself, missy? It was heartbreaking enough to watch you go alone through the world, year after year, but why did the answer to your loneliness have to rest with a man who tried to kill everyone in Gotham City, for goodness' sake? Don't you know that a leopard doesn't ever change its spots, sweetheart? I don't care how pretty this leopard is, I don't care about his lips or his hands, or the way that he looks at you. I don't care what it feels like when he kisses you. This man is a murderer, plain and simple, he is evil to the depths of his soul, and that's all he's ever going to be, Malayna….._

It wasn't easy, but with a little effort I managed to shut Granny out of my mind. My life had been lonely, almost unbearably so, ever since she had died, and years had passed by without any sort of human companionship for me beyond those that I interacted with at work, and I was happy to have someone in my life again, despite the circumstances. Granny was wrong, people _could_ change, if they wanted to, and I really believed that Bane had honestly turned his life around…at least, that's what I _wanted_ to believe.

I knew that he'd left the bed even before I opened my eyes to see for myself. Everything felt so empty now that he was gone, and I missed him lying beside me, holding me tightly in his arms. I allowed myself a moment, turning onto my stomach and pressing my face against his pillow, so that I could enjoy the smell of him, but that might have been a mistake, because his scent was one that made my pulse hitch, then accelerate, as I curled my fingers into his covers and felt an ache, one that was quickly becoming familiar to me, take life between my thighs.

I would have been happy to have stayed that way for hours, but there was a lot left to do, and I forced myself to leave his bed, after stretching long and languorously, and set out in search of Bane. My initial thought was that he was in the bathroom, but the door to the lavatory was open, and the room was bathed in shadows, which ruled it out of the list of possibilities. I was fairly certain that he wouldn't be wandering around Dr. Adelai's massive facility without me beside him, to help him, if he needed me to, which left my bedroom as the only likely possibility.

I opened the door quietly, unsure of what he could be doing in my bedroom, without me there, and found him crouched in the corner, with one of the boxes that I'd opened, but hadn't unpacked in front of him, the one, I noticed with a sudden and horrible blow of recognition, that held my albums, the white one and the black one, but only the white one remained in the box. Bane had opened the black one, the one that was certain to make him angry, and by the look of things, it would seem that he'd found the part that would infuriate him the most, a belief that he validated by looking up at me and stopping me dead in my tracks with the murderous heat that I saw in his eyes.

It would have been bad enough if he'd opened the white album, the one with the picture of me and my parents, taken at Christmastime, when I was ten, on its cover, because though it was filled with happy memories in its first half, its second half held the pictures and details, the police and medical reports that spelled out, in stark and brutal details, the day that life as I'd known it had disappeared.

It would have been painful for me, too painful, to open up to him, to tear at that fragile scab that covered a wound that always remained fresh, right beneath the surface, but that wasn't something that I needed to worry about. He wasn't holding the white scrapbook; he had the black one instead, which was a hundred times worse, at the very least.

The cover of the black album was emblazoned with something that had begun as a symbol of hope for Gotham, only to transform into what was evil, before finally turning to good once more. It was a bat, black on black, and it was something that Bane had undoubtedly recognized the moment that he'd laid eyes on it, though I would imagine that the sight of that icon hadn't been the thing that had enraged him. I would imagine that his anger was directed instead at the contents of the scrapbook, the ones that began with The Scarecrow, then moved to The Joker, and finally ended with information about and photos of Talia al Ghûl…and Bane.

It was something that I had begun long before he'd been my patient, when I had known him, along with all of those persecuted in Gotham, as the one who'd unleashed Hell onto our town, I didn't even equate him with the man in that book anymore, but how could I possibly explain that to him? How could I make him understand that the album had acted as an outlet for my pain, when nothing else was available to me?

"This is most unexpected, my dear," he said, and I could see that he was speaking slowly, and calmly, though the heat that was in his eyes suggested that he ought to have been shouting. "It would seem that I have a rival for your affections, one who has held sway over you for several years, as a matter of fact."

I was unaccustomed to him turning his temper in my direction. Oh, I had seen the evidence of his anger, more than once, as a matter of fact, but never directed toward me. He'd never looked at me the way that he was at that moment, and I knew that it wasn't something as simple as jealousy that was driving his fury. He felt as though I'd betrayed him, as deeply and thoroughly as possible, and it was questionable whether I'd ever be able to make him see things as they truly were.

"He was never in p-possession of my affections," I said, hesitantly, slowly entering the room and starting toward him, only to be stopped by the sight of his fist connecting with, and shattering the tile floor beneath its punishing force. "He was j-just someone who provided hope for the citizens of Gotham w-when we needed it the most, he protected us against t-those who meant to….."

I stopped talking, belatedly remembering that he had gone head-to-head with the Batman himself, which meant that he had to be included in that group of those who'd meant to harm us. My words, paired with the images in the scrapbook, undoubtedly cemented the notion in his mind that I really didn't care for him at all, and made it seem as if I detested him, that I was afraid of him, and I _had _been, at one time, but I wasn't any longer.

"He gave you _hope_," he said, sneering at me while he flipped through the pages, one by one, the deadly look on his face growing even more sinister, something that I wouldn't have believed was possible, had I not witnessed it with my own eyes. "He _protected_ you against the evil forces that invaded Gotham…monsters like _me_…is that not correct, Malayna?"

There would be no explaining anything to him when he was in the frame of mind that had taken hold of him. I would be better off waiting until later, when he'd had a chance to calm down, at least that was what I'd thought when I turned to leave, murmuring that I would speak to him later, once he'd had the chance to get his temper under control, but he was on me before I could take a single step toward the door, moving more quickly than I'd ever seen before, pushing me back with his body, until I was pressed against the wall, one hand resting on each side of me, trapping me in place.

"You will not leave until I say that you can," he said, still calm in his speech, despite the burning, intense rage that was smoldering in his eyes. "You will explain yourself to me, you will be made to see the folly of your foolish, naïve and infuriating beliefs, and then, once you are properly and thoroughly chastened, you will have my permission to leave."


	9. Betrayal Cannot Be Born Without Trust

Chapter Nine

Betrayal Cannot Be Born Without Trust

Malayna's POV

I wasn't certain what I ought to do, I wasn't sure what I ought to say, I felt very similar to the proverbial deer that was caught in the blinding glare of approaching headlights, those which belonged to the vehicle that was determined to run it down, which in this case were the eyes of the furious man who was glaring at me in a way that suggested that he was entertaining the notion of inflicting serious bodily harm upon me.

Bane had me trapped, with nowhere to go, and no one around to help me, should he completely lose control of his temper. Dr. Adelai was gone, he would be for three more days, and to my knowledge there wasn't another soul lurking in the facility, not even the contemptible Toad Man, though I supposed that was just as well, because it would have been an ice-cold day in Hell before I would have asked _him_ to help me.

"You showed so much devotion to a man who never knew you, why is that, Malayna?" he asked, bending down, so that he could look into my eyes, smiling when I shrank back away from him. "Why devote so much time, so much effort, to someone who would never even know your name?"

How could I possibly even hope to make him understand what my motivations were? We were so different, even as we were so very similar, and I didn't know where to begin, so that I could explain myself, and even more, I wasn't completely convinced that I had to try. What right did he have, to make the demands that he had? It wasn't as though I had deliberately set out to upset him, I would have never wanted to hurt him in any way…..

"Why did you put so much of your heart and soul into this man?" he demanded, drawing me from my thoughts with a start. "Did you think that he did what he did for you and you alone? Did you honestly think that he set out on each and every crusade with your face in his mind, or do you think that you were just one of many, a countless tide of those who were too complacent, who were too caught up in themselves and the status of their own lives to see the inevitable awakening, the cleansing fire that awaited them until it was too late?"

Fifteen months had passed by since Batman had sacrificed himself to save all of Gotham City, and as such the wounds had healed somewhat, but not nearly enough that I could tolerate him speaking so cavalierly about what had happened, as if it had been something that we ought to have expected, and I especially didn't want to hear _him_ speaking about that hellish time, given his blatant culpability in each and every facet of the plan that had been responsible for bringing my town to its knees.

"He gave me h-hope," I said, knowing without a doubt, and hating myself for the fact, that my voice revealed each and every nuance of the fear that I was feeling at that moment. "He gave all of us hope, and it didn't m-matter whether he knew w-who I was or not. It helped me, just knowing that t-there was someone who was willing to t-take a stand for his fellow man. And no, I wasn't 'complacent' or 'caught up' in myself and 'the status' of my own life. I was just like m-most people, who were trying to make their w-way through this world. We didn't need your 'awakening' and we sure as h-hell didn't need any 'cleansing fire', so please s-spare me the _philosophy_ that you and yours clung to, if you d-don't mind."

I knew that I was dangerously close to crossing the line, it could even be said that I was playing with fire, but I was too determined to state my point of view as clearly and honestly as possible. I had been silent for the most part for two decades, and he was the one who'd encouraged me to find my voice once more, so why should I stifle myself now, no matter how much he might have wanted me to, or how intelligent it may have proven to be, had I decided to do so?

"_Hope_," he scoffed, shaping the word in a manner that suggested that it had an unpleasant taste. "Why is it that people deplete so much of their time and energy clinging to that particular feeling? And why is it that people expect someone else to take a stand for them? Every last one of us stands alone, Malayna, in the end the only person that we can depend on is ourselves. And it may pain you to hear the truth, but each and every last person in Gotham was in serious need of an awakening, and an immersion in the purifying flames of fire that we sought to rise around them, _within_ them….."

"'Each and every last p-person in Gotham'?" I interrupted, trying, and undoubtedly failing, to convey only my outrage and keep my hurt to myself. "I guess that means that _I_ n-needed it to, doesn't it, Bane?"

He drew back away from me, his eyes widening for just an instant, and then narrowing dangerously once more. I had a pretty good idea that he was someone who rarely misspoke, if he ever did, but I hoped that this was one of the rare times when he hadn't truly meant what he'd said. Surely he didn't think that I had deserved to be destroyed by that bomb, but, then, why wouldn't he have, when _he_ had been prepared to die along with the rest of us?

"Oh, t-that's right," I said softly, fighting valiantly against the tears that I knew were filling my eyes. "You didn't know me, d-did you, so why would you care what h-happened to me? After all, I was just one m-more nameless, insignificant person, wasn't I? Why would y-you have concerned yourself with me, when my life d-didn't mean anything to you….."

I couldn't hear what he was doing, but I could feel his hands, one on each side of my head, slamming into the wall, and I couldn't stop myself from jumping and letting loose a sound that was almost a scream, but thankfully never developed enough to become one. I was fairly certain that he wouldn't hurt me, at least, he wouldn't do so _physically_, but maybe I was mistaken…that wouldn't be much of a stretch, after I'd already been proven wrong so many times today, would it?

"Do not toss my words back into my face, Malayna," he said, moving his hands until they rested beside my head, his thumbs tracing over my ears in a fashion that was almost a caress, an action that was strangely out of place, given the violence that he'd displayed with them just moments before, and the anger that I could still feel radiating from him. "Do not _dare _to compare me with him, not if you wish for me to retain some measure of control over my temper."

If this was what he considered being in control, I'd hate to see what he was like when he let his anger control him completely. "I know that it's an uncomfortable feeling, to have someone take your argument and s-spin it for their own use, but it m-makes perfect sense, when you think about it, that if Batman w-wasn't motivated by his knowledge of each and every person in Gotham, t-to do what he did, that the same could be said of y-you, Bane. That you did what you did because of your own personal agenda….."

"We were not to discuss me, or what motivated me to do what I did, Malayna," he interrupted, moving his hands beneath my head, turning his palms so that they were cradling my skull. "I believe that I said that you were to explain yourself to me, did I not?"

"Yes, but….."

"You have no say-so in this matter," he said, running his hand in a light caress from the back of my head, down to my neck, to rub the muscles that had grown tight and painful from stress. "You will do what I bid you to do, and cease your attempts to turn the conversation toward me, do you understand?"

He really had a tendency toward acting like a pompous ass, didn't he? And why was he speaking to me in a way that was designed to put me firmly in my place, while touching me in a manner that was gentle and caring? It didn't make any sense to me at all, but maybe that was the way that he wanted things to be, maybe he hoped to throw me off track, to manipulate me away from my own thoughts and beliefs, toward his own, which would be an act of defeat on my part in more ways than I could count.

"Let me get this straight," I said, jerking away from his touch, an action which infuriated him, and which he countered by loosing my ponytail and twining his fingers into my hair. "You w-want me to stand here silently and allow you to point out each and every w-way that I am 'foolish', 'naïve', and 'infuriating', is that right? I'm supposed to hang my head and t-try not to cry while you 'properly' and 'thoroughly chasten' me. Have I forgotten anything?"

He was holding me firmly in place, his fingers ensuring that I wouldn't be able to move away from him without causing myself pain, and I quickly assessed the situation, to see what options I had available that were the least likely to enrage him any further, though I couldn't see how that was possible, given his current temperament.

"No, I do not believe that you have," he said, moving to the side, so that he could wedge his right boot between my bare feet. "Let me just emphasize that you ought to concentrate on the _silent_ part as much as possible, if you would like me to keep my temper in check."

I couldn't say for certain whether or not he actually expected me to answer him, and truth be told I couldn't even begin to formulate a reply to a statement that was so blatantly arrogant. Did he honestly believe that I was going to stand there, restrained and mute, while he preached at me? I had always believed that he was fairly levelheaded, after meeting him personally, that is, but if that was truly what he expected me to do I would have to change my estimation of his character.

"Are we perfectly clear about that, Malayna?" he asked, using his boot to move my feet apart, and my legs along with them, until there was room for his knee to rest between my thighs.

I cocked my head to the side, which was no easy feat given the hold that he had on my hair and nodded, hoping that my eyes conveyed each and every emotion that I could feel coursing through me, save for the fear, of course. I was fairly certain that he could see that as well, but that didn't mean that I couldn't try to conceal it as much as possible, did it?

"You may speak your response aloud," he said, raising his eyebrows and almost, but not quite, smiling. "You have my permission to do so."

I knew at that moment that I would just as soon have my internal organs extracted from my body with dull and rusty instruments then to respond to him with my voice, the one that I'd foolishly shared with him after years of silence. It would seem that I'd made a mistake by opening up to him as I had, and it was one that I had no intention of repeating, not now, not ever again.

I simply stared back at him, meeting his gaze unflinchingly, and taking a wicked sense of victory from the sight of his self-satisfied smile slowly leaving his lips. What had he expected me to do? Had he truly believed that I would be a good girl, a meek little miss, who would nod or shake her head, who'd respond, when bidden to do so, with a respectable "yes, sir" or "no, sir"? I would have expected him to know better than that, but perhaps he didn't know anything about the real me.

"Answer me, Malayna," he said, his eyes growing stormy over my sudden insurrection. "I have told you that you were allowed to do so, and I want you to tell me that you understand. I do not want you to nod at me, I want you to speak aloud, is that understood?"

_Yes_, I shaped, the motion of my lips a little unfamiliar to me, after speaking aloud. _I understand just fine, Bane._

In that instant I realized that I hadn't actually seen his temper, despite what I'd witnessed, because the moments that followed my shaping showed me the fury that he was capable of, even though he never physically displayed it, and it was all that I could do to stop myself from sinking to the floor beneath the rage that I sensed in him.

"Do not _dare_ hide from me, Malayna," he said, staring into my eyes, then at my mouth. "I will not abide you doing so, I will not allow you to take that away from me, not now, not after I have grown so used to hearing your voice. You will not force me into silence, do you understand me, do you….."

I looked away from him, thoroughly ignoring him for the first time in our acquaintance. I took a deep breath, readying myself for the pain that I knew awaited me, and pulled hard against the hold that he had on my hair, and pushed against his chest at the same time, which knocked him off-balance and he released me while he struggled to right himself.

That gave me the opportunity that I needed to flee, leaving him standing in my bedroom, clutching strands of my hair in his fist, with a jumble of expressions on his face as he watched me go, a mixture of anger, disbelief, and pain, the last of which tore at my heart, despite what had just passed between us, which made me wonder if there was anyone else in the world who was as foolish as I was, because it made me just a little uneasy, to ponder the notion that I was in a class all my own.

Bane's POV

Three days had passed, three days of her bringing me three meals a day, of helping me to the facilities and bathing me, three days of her staying by my side and aiding me while I went through the tiring motions of rehabilitating my pain wracked, broken body, and tucking me into my narrow, uncomfortable and lonely bed. Three days of agony, of not hearing her voice or seeing her smile, and the thing that hurt the worst was the knowledge that I had done this to myself.

She did not neglect her duties, or me, and she was polite, pleasant even, but there was not a trace of our former easiness with one another to be found. All of the sudden I was simply her patient, and it enraged me, to be treated the way that I was, but how could I possibly complain when I had brought the whole mess on myself?

It had taken a day and a half, after I had discovered her black binder, filled with clippings and facts about the Batman, after she had left me standing alone in her bedroom, gripping a handful of her hair, to realize that my response had been irrational and childish, to say the very least. I had not realized that my wounded pride where Bruce Wayne's alter ego was concerned was still a viable issue with me, I had foolishly assumed that I had moved beyond all of that, but I had quickly discovered that was not the case when I saw the hated man staring back at me from that scrapbook that Malayna had made, the one that had left me with no doubts about what _her_ feelings for the Batman had been.

I suppose that she might believe that the thing that upset me the most was seeing the section that was dedicated to my crimes against Gotham, but the truth of the matter was that the sight of the one who shared the pages with me had been my undoing. I had successfully managed to push my thoughts and feelings toward Talia to the back of my mind, I had forced myself to concentrate on things other than my doomed love for a woman who had never truly loved me in return, and I had been victorious in that effort until I had seen the photos of her, smiling that soft smile that I had loved, and in a flash it had all come rushing back to me, all of the memories, all of the emotions, and I had been helpless against the desire to give myself over to them completely.

Talia's manipulation of my feelings, and her betrayal was something that I could admit to myself, but I could not speak the truth aloud. It was painful enough, to acknowledge that I had been a fool to myself, but doing so in a way that would inform everyone else was unthinkable to me. It was a wound that I did not dare unwrap and reveal, knowing that it could just as easily hemorrhage and kill me, just as it could heal, and I was not willing to take that sort of chance, no matter what the alternative.

A day and a half passed by before I realized the full extent of my actions, before I allowed my conscience to take notice of the madness that I had displayed in Malayna's room, of the irrational way that I had behaved toward her, in speaking to her the way that I had, in bullying and intimidating her, of manipulating and humiliating her until I had at last managed to break her trust enough that she was unwilling to speak to me. And another day and a half had passed since I had experienced that painful epiphany, and now I was willing to do anything and everything in my power to mend what I had severed, if she would only allow me to do so.

I was lying in my bed, waiting for her to bring me dinner. Times past, before I had behaved like an illogical ass, would have found us sharing our meals together, but lately she had taken to eating in her own room, and I was determined to put a stop to that practice as soon as possible. I had my plan all mapped out in my mind, all I had to do was play my cards right, and hope that she did not take it upon herself to mortally wound me, were she to find my actions unpalatable.

The door that led from my room into hers opened precisely at six, just as I had known it would, and she carried in the dinner tray, laden with a bevy of food that had my mouth watering with anticipation, but I refused to allow anything to lead me astray at that crucial moment. I smiled at her as she approached me, and stifled a wince when she refused to acknowledge my greeting, reminding myself, for the umpteenth time, that I had no one to blame but myself. I was perfectly aware of that fact by that time, and was quickly becoming weary of the constant reminder of how grievously I had erred with my fragile little mouse.

She placed the tray on a table that could be moved to hover over the bed, which would allow me to feed myself, but on this night I started motioning for her, once her arms were unburdened, and once I had caught hold of her attention made her believe that I needed to use the facilities, which would necessitate her raising the bed and helping me to my feet…which would place her close to me, close enough that I could fulfill my plan, all in the hopes that she would not maim, and/or murder me when she realized that my request for help had been a ruse.

She raised the mattress, just as I had known she would, and stepped close to the bed, to offer me her arm, so that I could rise to my feet, but my hand found, and clutched hers instead. I wanted to pull her onto the bed with me, truthfully I wanted to pull her down to rest on my lap, but I knew that doing so would be foolish, and made do with holding her hand instead, careful to keep my grip firm, yet gentle, even as she tried to move away from me.

_What are you doing_? She shaped her words furiously, her eyes growing wide, and full of fear, as she glanced to the door that led to her room, then back at me. _Please don't do this, Bane_. _Please don't do something that we'll both regret_…..

"I have already done many things that I regret, my dear," I said softly, running my thumb along her palm, feeling my heartbeat stumble for an instant when I saw her take, and hold, a deep breath. "And I wish to make amends to you, if you would allow me to do so. I am not foolish enough to believe that you will give your forgiveness effortlessly, and I cannot hope that your affections will return to me easily, if at all, but I do hold out hope that you will learn to trust me again. I will wait, however long you deem necessary, for you to smile at me again, Malayna, for you to share your voice with me, because I miss all of these things, my dear. I miss holding you, and kissing you, I miss the feel of your breath, of your warmth on my skin….."

Her fingertip, pressed firmly against my lips, ceased my need to babble nonsensically, which was undoubtedly best for both of us, and there was a softness in her eyes that I hadn't seen for several days, though a lingering pain still haunted her gaze as she looked at me. I reminded myself that it was only temporary, I promised myself that they were shadows that would never be there again, not if I had anything to say about it…I simply had to chase them away, if she would allow me to do so.

_I miss you too, Bane_, she shaped, running her fingertip over my lips, slowly, torturously tracing them. _I want to forgive you, truth be told, I probably already have, but you're going to have to be patient with me, and take one day at a time, if there is going to be any chance of me returning your affections and offering you my trust again. Are you willing to wait? Are you willing to be patient? Or am I asking for too much?_

I was reluctant to do anything that would necessitate interrupting the attention that she was bestowing upon my lips, but I had known that there would be steep prices to be paid for my actions, and the sooner that I accepted the consequences, the better off I would be. I reached up and took hold of her hand with my own, softly kissing the tip of her finger before I reluctantly moved it away from my mouth.

"I can wait for as long as you need me to, my dear," I said, inwardly wincing as I thought of the long, lonely days and nights that lied ahead of me, torturous times that my newborn conscience reminded me, for the millionth time, that I had brought upon myself. "And my patience is vast, when I need it to be, and I can honestly say that there is no request that you could make, within reason, that could or would be unbearable."

She seemed pleased by my words, and I suppose that I ought to have given some of the credit to my conscience, but I was not on speaking terms with my damnable scruples at that moment. Life had been so much easier when my sense of right and wrong had been off kilter, at least, that's what I tried to tell myself. It was just my misfortune that I knew better than that, would you not agree?


	10. Like Heaven to Touch

Chapter Ten

Like Heaven to Touch

Bane's POV

I felt like I was moving in slow-motion as I made my way down to the second floor, to the kitchen that was located there, so that I could make a complete and utter fool of myself. I felt like I was walking under water, it seemed as though my legs weighed one hundred pounds apiece, at least, but that was understandable, considering the fact that it was four o'clock in the morning, and I had grown accustomed, lazily and slothfully adapted, to the practice of rising at eight.

Five days had passed since I had behaved like a brute in Malayna's bedroom, and though we were on speaking terms once more, we were not exactly on _speaking_ terms, that is, that she was still refusing to vocalize her thoughts and feelings with me. She also had not smiled at me in all of that time, not even once, and needless to say, I was starting to become impatient, not to mention desperate, hence my early wakening, to take the cookbook that I had filched from her kitchen, and do my utmost to make an ass of myself by endeavoring to prepare the morning meal for both of us, so that she might have a little bit of a lie-in…..

Blast…I had not told her of my plans, which meant that she would still rise at five, just as she always did. I had wanted to surprise her, in the bleak and, undoubtedly pathetic hope that she might find it in her heart to thank me, in spoken words, and with a smile that told me that I was forgiven. It was a longshot, I realized that, but it was not impossible, was it?

It dawned on me that I might have been going about things in the wrong way, because it was doubtful that she would feel very benevolent toward me, if I was to poison her with my novice attempt at cooking, and when I say novice, I mean that I have never even boiled water, but I had come too far to stop now, and felt that I had to proceed, no matter what dangers lay ahead of me.

"What should I make? What would she like?" I asked myself, as though I expected myself to answer, and, surprise, surprise, I heard no reply whatsoever.

"Oh, you are a fine one for helping me, are you not?" I continued, as if speaking aloud to myself was the most natural thing in the world. "I simply asked for a little help, a little inspiration, but you have chosen to remain mute…fine, I will make the decision on my own, who needs you anyway?"

This was bad; this was very, very bad. Not only was I prepared to humiliate myself, in the hopes of garnering Malayna's forgiveness, but I had also begun to speak to myself, and not simply to mumble a few words every now and then, but to carry on a conversation, an _argument_, on top of that, with myself. It was an action that bespoke of insanity, that had been proven time and time again, but surely I was in no danger of losing my mind, if I had only done so this one time…was I?

I opened the book of recipes and admired her elegant handwriting while I flipped through the pages, eventually settling on blueberry pancakes. I had noticed in the past, when we shared breakfast with one another, that she was partial to blueberry muffins, so I surmised that the love of one blueberry item surely meant that she would adore the other as well, after all, pancakes were very similar to muffins, were they not?

There was the pancake recipe, which sounded easier than I had expected it to be, but below that was a smaller recipe, for a blueberry compote to top the pancakes, and that was when I started to panic. The compote recipe sounded fairly easy as well, but what if I was mistaken? It would not do to serve her something that was inedible, and sauces seemed to be much more difficult to master than mere pancakes, no matter how straightforward the recipe. Would she be disappointed if I served her naked pancakes, or would she be too occupied by the surprise that I had cooked breakfast to notice, and subsequently take offense?

"Just make the damned pancakes and leave it be at that," I muttered, gathering the ingredients for the recipe, then the crockery and cutlery that I would need to assemble, then cook them. "You have calculated and overseen elaborate plots, you have acted as a leader for scores of men, how difficult could cooking be, in comparison?"

Malayna's POV

I was accustomed to awakening to colorful, rhythmic lights, but this morning was different, this morning found me waking to the unmistakable smell of pancakes and bacon. It was a positively blissful way to be roused from sleep, one that immediately set my stomach to grumbling with hunger, but it confused me as well, and made me think that I might have been imagining it, a lingering remnant from a dream that I couldn't remember, until I cautiously opened one eye and found Bane standing beside my bed, holding a tray that was laden with breakfast that he'd apparently made himself.

"Good morning, my dear," he said, placing the tray on my bedside table, wincing as he knocked over my lamp, which he hastily straightened before returning his attention to me. "It occurred to me that you might appreciate having breakfast prepared for you this morning, and though I cannot say that the fare that I offer you could hope to compare to that which you compose, I hope that it will suffice none the less."

He hesitantly approached my bedside, and even more tentatively bent to help me to sit up, moving my pillows so that I would be comfortable, and I was touched by his thoughtfulness…until I caught a glimpse of my clock and saw that it was 7:05, which meant that I'd overslept by two hours, and that he was an hour past the time that he should have had his medication, which meant that he had to have been in pain…at which time I did my best to leap from the bed, forgetting the covers that were wrapped around my legs, and fell back against the mattress with Bane, who I'd grabbed in a desperate attempt to keep my balance, falling right on top of me, giving me the most embarrassing sensation of déjà vu.

He was very heavy, but he only squashed me for a moment, then he rolled off of me and jerked me back up into a sitting position and started running his hands all over my body…including one or two spots that made me blush and wonder if he was even aware of the fact that he was basically groping me. It was nice to know that he cared, and, I'll admit it, even nicer to feel his hands roaming their way across my body, but it was probably for the best when he came to his senses and moved away from me, with a blush that was undoubtedly very similar to my own staining his cheeks.

"I expected disbelief from you, Malayna, but I have to admit that I never foresaw that you would react in a way that would potentially cause you bodily harm. Is the thought of partaking of a meal that I prepared so off-putting that you would rather risk life and limb than ingest it, or was this simply a new morning routine that you wished to demonstrate for me, my dear?"

I wanted to be angry with him, I truly did, but the truth of the matter was that I was pretty much incapable of holding a grudge, especially against someone that I cared about, and besides that, I missed him, I missed the closeness that we'd shared, and I wanted to have that back. It was obvious that he was doing everything in his power to make amends to me for the way that he'd behaved, and that meant a lot to me, because I would imagine that he was the sort who'd never become accustomed to apologizing, if he'd ever even done so before.

_I was just caught off-guard by the time, and the fact that I should have been awake two hours ago,_ I shaped, pushing my butt back against the pillows, so that I could be as comfortable as possible when I was braless and pant less with him sitting beside me on the bed. _I should have given you your medicine an hour ago as well, which means that you're probably in a great deal of pain, and I'm fairly certain that your tumble to the bed didn't help you out in that area either, did it_?

He smiled at me, and took the tray off of the table, placing it on my lap. "I decided that you could use a bit of rest, after so many early mornings and long, tiring days. And do not worry about my medication, either. You must have forgotten that emergency dose that you left in my medicine cabinet, did you not? I took it at six, and my pain level is tolerable, so there is no need for alarm, my sweet."

When I'd set that dose aside for him I'd done so with an emergency which meant that I was incapacitated in some way in mind, not that he should use it as a means to stifle his pain while he fixed me breakfast, but he looked so pleased with his accomplishment that I couldn't find it in my heart to scold him. I told myself to enjoy the extra rest he'd afforded me, as well as the meal, but though the former was easy enough, the latter, well, that might prove to be a bit more difficult.

Pancakes were piled haphazardly on one side of a serving platter, a stack of twenty, at the very least, topped with a mountain of whipped cream and what appeared to be an entire pint of blueberries. The other side of the platter contained what looked to be a pound of bacon, burnt to a crisp, resting in a lake of grease that had already begun to congeal. I looked the mess over and felt my stomach, which had been growling in anticipation, flip-flop queasily and I wondered how many bites I'd have to take before I could be assured that his feelings wouldn't be hurt.

"I borrowed your cookbook," he said, smiling sheepishly when I looked back at him with one eyebrow raised. "Okay, I _stole_ your cookbook and used your recipe for the pancakes, though I was not quite brave enough to attempt the compote for a topping and opted for whipped cream instead…is that alright with you, my dear?"

He had such a hopeful look on his face, and I couldn't help but nod at him and smile, even though everything in me demanded that I tell him no, that I insist that I wasn't hungry, anything, any excuse that would result in me not having to sample his cooking…I just prayed that doing so wouldn't result in having to make a beeline for the bathroom afterwards, to cast it all up, an act which would likely ruin my craving for anything with blueberries for some time.

_Of course_, I assured him, hoping that the smile on my face could be called genuine. _As long as you will join me, that is_.

His answering smile inspired me to respond in kind, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was a genuine beam that time, because I could feel it in my eyes. It would be easier to make it through with him suffering right along beside me…hmm…that had kind of become the theme for our relationship, hadn't it?

Bane's POV

She looked good enough to eat.

Hmm…that was a bad descriptive for me to make, was it not, when one considered the nauseating meal that we had both somehow managed to choke down. I ought to have given her flowers, perhaps a nice box of chocolates, anything that did not necessitate me testing her gag reflex. Oh, well, it was a mistake that I would not make twice, she could rest assured in that bit of knowledge, provided that she did not become deathly ill from the slop that I had bestowed upon her that morning.

Dr. Adelai had returned and demanded that we meet with him, to discuss my progress, and that was how I came to be seated beside Malayna, outfitted in clothing that felt tight and scratchy and bizarre on my body, complete with a tie and highly polished black wingtip shoes that pinched my toes. I truly despised clothing like the sort that the good doctor demanded, though I definitely admired Malayna in the dress that she had chosen for the occasion.

Her dress fit her well, contoured itself, you might say, to her curvaceous figure, so well that walking next to her, watching, as she, well, for lack of a better word, _sashayed_ with each step that she took, had proven difficult, to say the very least. I had foolishly forgotten the effect that she had on me in moments such as this, I had allowed myself to become too comfortable with her in her everyday clothes and ponytail, that the sight of her as she was now had effects on my body that made it hard to speak, to listen, even to think properly…which was undoubtedly the reason that Dr. Adelai had to resort to shouting to garner my attention.

"Forgive me, Doctor," I said, a tad bit embarrassed, but not the least bit contrite over the fact that I had been caught staring at the delectable Miss Bishop. "I was a bit…preoccupied, and did not hear you."

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes traveling from me, to Malayna, then back to me again. "Yes, I can see that, Mr. Bane," he said disapprovingly. "Perhaps it would be best if Miss Bishop were to wait by the window, as I suggested….."

"She stays with me," I interjected, feeling my temper flare to life at his suggestion that we send Malayna to the window, to wait until she was called, like an obedient little dog. "Have you forgotten already the stipulations that I have made, Dr. Adelai, and before you answer that, and before you even consider threatening her life, please allow me to inform you that I have grown stronger, and would not hesitate to correct you as violently as possible, should you chose to do so. I do not relish the idea of a fight, but I would gladly put as many of your men out of commission as I possibly can…_after_ I have killed you, of course."

I was not certain how many of my words Malayna had seen and comprehended, but I had a good idea that she had caught most of what I had said, and she did not look alarmed or disgusted, as a matter of fact, if I had to give a descriptive to the look that was on her face at that moment I would call it pleased, which bolstered me in ways that I cannot begin to describe.

"There is no reason for either one of us to make threats, Mr. Bane," the good doctor answered, his tone appeasing, his teeth frighteningly white against a face that was unnaturally tanned, as he sought to soothe my ruffled feathers. "I just have one more topic to discuss with you, one which you won't like, but which I appeal that you consider none the less."

"And what might that be?"

"Miss Bishop has provided exemplary preliminary physical rehabilitation, that much is obvious, but for the more extensive work I would like to suggest a new trainer, one who has more experience and can properly guide you through each and every exercise….."

"She cannot perform my surgeries, I accept that as fact, but she will be the one by my side for every other aspect of my recovery, Dr. Adelai," I interrupted, smiling at him when I saw his mouth tighten with irritation. "There is no one that I trust as implicitly as Malayna, so there really is no need for us to discuss this any further, is there?"

He shifted his weight in his chair and sighed, a deep, weary sigh. "You are a stubborn man, Mr. Bane. I suppose that trait has kept you alive, when you truly ought to be dead. The reason that I suggested this man is because he is the son of my wife's best friend, and every night at dinner she asks me whether or not I've found him a job. I was hoping that I could give her a 'yes' this evening, if for no other reason than to save my ears and my head from these annoying aches that plague me each and every night, but alas, you remain defiant, yes?"

"Of course," I said, reaching for Malayna's hand without thinking, not realizing what I'd done until I felt her fingers twine comfortably with mine, and then I drew a deep breath, feeling relief and joy battle for the emotion that dominated my senses. "Until my dying day, Dr. Adelai, and even then, I will not go without a fight."

He looked at our joined hands and sneered, and I felt anger join my gamut of emotions. "The day will come when my word will be law, Mr. Bane," he murmured, his eyes alighting with a sinister glow that made Malayna sink back in her chair. "And though it would sadden me to see things end in such a way, rest assured that I will not hesitate to have you put down, in the manner of a rabid beast, should you choose to defy me, but only after you bear witness to the defiling and torment of Miss Bishop…only when you have begged me to end you will I consent to do so. Please don't choose that option, Mr. Bane. It's a dreary prospect, wouldn't you agree?"

Malayna's POV

He was furious after our meeting with Dr. Adelai, and his rage showed itself in every move that he made, every step that he took, as he pushed himself harder and farther than he ought to have, until I'd practically had to beg him to stop, to relax and take his medication, before his pain broke through his anger and took him down to his knees.

I finally convinced him to take off his shirt and lie down on my bed, so I could rub some liniment on his body and I tried not to stare at the muscles that were slowly building and regaining their life, but it wasn't easy to ignore something that was so arresting a sight, and finally I decided that it was best to simply allow myself to enjoy the view.

At first I tried to massage him from my seat beside the bed, then I stood and leaned over him, but neither position allowed me the access that I needed to ensure that each and every muscle received the attention that it deserved, and with that thought in mind I climbed onto the bed and straddled his body, with my backside resting against his, which gave me just the vantage point that I needed to do the job right.

He'd grown very still beneath me, but when I placed my hands, slathered well with the liniment, on his back I felt him shudder, and watched, with a smile curving my lips, as his fingertips tightened rhythmically into the covers beneath them. I suppose that it was bold of me, to act the way that I was, but I was too busy enjoying the feel of him against me, and the knowledge that I was soothing him, just as I was rousing him, and myself, to give much thought to something as insignificant as decorum.

I lost myself in the movement of my hands as they caressed and calmed his aching muscles, I fixated all of my attention on the feel of his skin against my palms, and on the vibrations of his sighs that I could feel humming across his back, so I was completely caught off guard when he rolled over onto his back, taking hold of me by my hips, and gently pulling me forward, until my softest, most feminine place touched the part of him that made him undeniably and impressively male…the part that was unmistakably roused by my attentions.

"I realize that I am quite possibly stepping across bounds that I would do well to respect, but there are a couple of requests that I would like to make, if I may," he said, smiling up at me in a way that made me respond in kind, a reply that seemed to please him, if the way that his eyes were shining was any indication.

_And what might these requests be_? I shaped, shocked to find myself fighting against the urge to move against him in a way that was completely inappropriate.

"I would like to sleep here, in this bed, with you tonight," he said, his words slow, almost faltering, as though he was worried that I might refuse. "And I would like to kiss you as well, if you would only allow me to do so. Of course, I will understand if you refuse, so do not feel obligated to say yes. I know that I hurt you terribly, my sweet, and I know that….."

"H-hush," I said, finding my voice again easily enough, despite the fact that I had promised myself I would never use it again. "How are you supposed t-to kiss me if you're t-talking, hmm?"

His eyes darkened as he curled his hands against my hips, then ran them in a sensual caress up the sides of my body, until he reached my neck and pulled me down into his arms, cuddling me close as his lips met mine and he kissed me like it was the first time, and reminded me, as if I'd forgotten, of how much I wanted him, of how much I needed him, and how I could never, _would_ never, let him go.


	11. Dreams Are True While They Last

Chapter Eleven

Dreams Are True While They Last

Malayna's POV

The sun was setting, glowing beautiful shades of pink and purple on the surface of the vast, picturesque lake that lay beneath the long, winding stretch of road that the '85 Dodge Raider was traveling on. I saw the vehicle first from the outside, as an observer, my heart clenching in recognition, then I found myself in the back seat, sitting beside a twelve year old girl whose glasses kept slipping down on her nose while she endeavored to read, to indulge in her favorite pastime, even though it made her carsick to do so.

My dad had bought the Dodge used, five years after our neighbor, Mr. Timmons, had purchased it brand-new off of the showroom floor. Mom had argued that our station wagon was just fine for our vacation, but Daddy had insisted, cajoling and charming her, and in the end he'd gotten his way, just as he always did. It was our first family vacation, just as it was our last, our only, and sitting there, jolting along beside my younger self, I could smell the coffee that Daddy had spilled that morning, and I smiled fondly as he started singing along with the radio, _Rockin' Robin_, my favorite song when I was a child, and his as well.

Dear, God…I could hear him. I could hear his voice, singing in that horrible off-key tone that made Mama playfully clamp her hands over her ears. I could hear the road beneath us, and birds calling as they flew over the water. My younger self was singing along as well, in a voice that was much better than Daddy's had been, and I marveled at the sound of it, that which I'd forgotten over the years.

"What'll it be tonight, Doodle Bug?" Daddy asked the younger me, raising his eyes to the rearview mirror, and smiling mischievously when he saw her stick out her tongue at him. I'd always professed to hate the silly nickname that he'd given me as a toddler, but we'd both known that I loved it. "I'm thinking that the Spaghetti Special at Ragetti's would definitely hit the spot, but your Mama wants Chinese…and let me just say that I would be happy to buy that seashell bracelet for you first thing tomorrow, if you cast your vote my way….."

"I cannot believe that you would resort to bribing our child over her vote for Ragetti's or The Orient Express," Mama said incredulously, shaking her head disapprovingly, before turning 'round to smile at the young Malayna. "Vote my way, sweetheart, and I'll not only buy you the bracelet, but I'll throw in a new swimsuit as well….."

"Upping the ante, eh, Maelie?" Daddy said, trying, and failing, to achieve both a tone and an expression that could be described as outraged as he turned to look at Mama. "Now who's taking advantage of the child, hmm?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Benjamin," she said, winking at Malayna, before she turned back around to face her husband. "I'm simply giving her an opportunity to weigh the proposals, and choose the one that appeals to her the most."

Daddy rolled his eyes at Mama, then raised his gaze to the rearview mirror once more. "Alright, Doodle Bug, which one will it be? Ragetti's, which is, I believe, the superior choice, or, The Orient Express, where we have dined three times in the past six days?"

The young Malayna pretended to carefully weigh each option, then smiled mischievously and said, "Bubba's BBQ, please."

Daddy and Mama looked at one another and groaned, both muttering uncomplimentary things about their daughter's choice, but I knew, just as my younger self did, that it was all in good fun. They'd both expected their child to make her own choice, one that belonged to neither one of them, and if the truth were to be told, they would have been disappointed in her if she'd gone along with either one of them.

The younger me was giggling, she was happy, and my heart ached for her, it bled and cried for her, because I knew what was coming, I knew, all too well, that everything was about to change horribly, and that nothing would ever be the same for her again. I wished that I could warn myself, I longed to plead with my father to be careful, to watch out, but they couldn't hear me, I wasn't really there, and I held my breath as the lights from the other car appeared out of nowhere and illuminated our vehicle, as it illumined all of us, and my cry of terror joined those of my younger self, and of my mother, while my father tried, and failed, to keep us safe…..

* * *

I woke up screaming, or, at least, I assumed that I did, because my throat felt raw and sore, but my first conscious thought, my first realization was the fact that I was being clutched tightly in Bane's arms, and was sobbing against his chest as he struggled to sit up in bed, one arm leaving me for a moment so that he could find the lamp that sat on my bedside table.

A soft, comforting glow lit the room, but it wasn't enough to soothe the memories, the horrible, soul crushing remembrances of that last day with my parents, and I climbed onto his lap, in a bid to escape them, and encircled him with my arms, holding him tighter than I ever had before, in the hope that he could help me forget, that he could keep the pain at bay, if only for a moment.

He ran his hands through my hair, caressing my scalp, stroking his fingers through the tangled length, and I could feel his chest rumbling as he spoke to me, words that I could not hear, not that I needed to. It was enough, just knowing that he was there for me, that he was there with me, holding me and comforting me simply because he wanted to be, because I needed him, without a second thought or concern for himself, and the sleep that I was depriving him of.

"Don't make me go b-back to sleep, Bane," I pleaded, despite the fact that I couldn't say for certain whether he'd mentioned me needing to sleep or not. "I can't c-close my eyes again, not now, so p-please don't make me try."

He pulled me back away from his chest, holding my head in his palms, his thumbs gently wiping away my tears as they traced their way in a furious and constant flow down my cheeks. "You do not have to go back to sleep if you do not want to, my dear. We will do whatever you like, for as long as you like. There is no need for you to worry, or to be afraid, Malayna. I am not going anywhere, I promise you that."

I took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded, turning my head so I could press a kiss against his palm. "But you need t-to sleep," I said, knowing, even though I couldn't hear it, that my voice was trembling. "You need to get as much rest as possible, if we are g-going to have any hope of accelerating your therapy, the way that Dr. Adelai wishes us to."

He smiled at me and pulled me close, kissing me gently once, then twice before he set me back, so that I could see his face while he spoke to me. "There will be plenty of opportunity for me to sleep once I have seen you smile, my dear," he said, reaching out and placing a fingertip against my lips when I attempted a half smile in the hope of appeasing him. "I will take my rest when I see a _genuine_ smile, Malayna, the sort that shows in your eyes, not this facsimile of the beam that takes hold of you when you are sincerely happy."

His words were enough to make me smile for real, but I made do with the half smile, because it was two in the morning, which meant that we'd been sleeping for four hours, and if I waited until three o'clock, he would still get five more hours, and altogether that would make for a very decent night's sleep, wouldn't it? If I smiled right then, he wouldn't be able to kiss me anymore, and that was what I wanted at that moment, to lose myself in his arms, and in his mouth, so why would I want to ruin my chances by smiling, hmm?

I couldn't say for certain where I found the nerve to behave so boldly, but something prompted me to scoot forward on his lap and place my palms against his chest, marveling at the strength that I could feel beneath his flesh. I took the time to caress him, thoroughly enjoying the feel of his skin, and of the muscles that rippled beneath my hands, and the pounding rhythm of his heartbeat, a steady throbbing that grew and quickened beneath my palms.

His eyes grew heavy, almost slumberous, in opposition to his racing heart, and my breath froze in my throat when I felt his hands, which had been resting on my waist, slip down, to encircle my bottom, his calloused palms massaging me through the thin cotton fabric of my panties, which had seemed like sufficient covering, until he touched me, and I realized how scant they were.

"I will confess that I have become quite fixated with your backside, my dear," he said, teasing and tormenting me with his touch. "I have thought of this moment often, I must admit, and it is every bit as thrilling as I had imagined it to be, more so, even."

I could feel my face turning red, a sight which made him smile wickedly as he watched my discomfiture grow by leaps and bounds. I'd never given much thought to my bottom, aside from the fact that I'd always considered it to be a touch fuller than what I would have preferred it to be. It had never even dawned on me that there would be a man in existence who considered it to be an attractive asset, no pun intended, and certainly not one who would think of, possibly even dream of, caressing it the way that Bane was at that moment.

"You have?" I asked, partially because I couldn't wrap my mind around such a notion, and, shamefully, even more, because I wanted to hear him say it again. "It is?"

His smile grew and he used his hold on my backside to pull me forward, drawing me slowly across the proof of his desire, leaving no further doubts in my mind. "Yes, I have my dear. A man would have to be blind not to take notice of, and appreciate, your figure. Granted, it was not something that I gave all that much thought to, in years past. It is almost as though I am going through puberty again, as a matter of fact…I just hope that I will not be plagued by acne or a cracking voice."

I laughed before I could stop myself, a sound which was undoubtedly accompanied by a genuine smile. I had tried so hard to keep it at bay, after all, there was nearly an hour of kissing and canoodling to be had, but it would seem my efforts had been for naught, and that was a realization that wiped the smile from my face in a heartbeat, only to be restored moments later by the sight of the words that Bane spoke to me next.

"I will not insist that you go back to sleep until three, my sweet, not unless you wish to close your eyes right now. I was thinking that we might pass the time with a little kissing until then, if that would be agreeable to you, because I have discovered that though the embraces awaken my senses, they also have a wonderful calming ability, once the tempest has passed us by, and I believe that might be just what we need to alleviate….."

I recognized one of his longwinded explanations when I saw it, and knew that the time had come to nip his speech in the bud, because all of that talking was cutting into the time that we could spend kissing one another. It might have been rude to weave my arms around his neck and silence him with my lips, but I don't think that he was too offended, not if the hunger that permeated our kiss was any indication.

Maybe I could talk him into necking until three fifteen, or, if I was very persuasive, until three thirty…there wasn't any harm in trying, was there?

Bane's POV

We snuggled and kissed and caressed one another until three forty-five, even though I had initially stated that we would only do so until three o'clock. Malayna had proven herself to be a very persuasive woman, not that I had ever truly doubted her talent for wrapping me around her little finger, but I could not make myself feel anything other than thrilled toward her at that moment, no matter how hard I tried, so I had finally given up any thoughts that I might have had about chastising her and concentrated on getting a few more hours sleep instead.

I do not know how long I had been asleep before the dream took hold of me, but I recognized the park from the one time before, I recalled all of the vibrant green and the beautiful flowers with perfect clarity, almost as if no time had passed since I had last been in this place, and I suppose that none had, at least not in my perception of the surroundings. I was still seated on a colorful blanket, atop grass that was wonderfully verdant and fragrant. There was a picnic basket off to my right, and standing in front of me was a little girl, a beautiful child, with big brown eyes that seemed so familiar to me, dark hair worn in pigtails, and a sundress in various shades of pink.

She was closer to me than she had been in my previous dream, and she was still smiling at me, in that way that said that she loved me, and though I was bewildered by her presence, I was pleased as well, because I knew her, which was baffling, because I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I had never met her before.

"The chicken is on the right side of the basket," she said, stepping onto the blanket and dropping daintily onto its colorful softness. "Fried chicken is yummy, isn't it? It's one of my favorite things. I say _one of_ my favorites, because I have many things that I love best of all. I can't imagine having to choose one favorite food, or one favorite song, though I would have to say that pink wins out, hands down, as my favorite color."

She was a chatty little thing, but I found that I enjoyed the sound of her voice; I found that it pleased me, for more reasons than I could even hope to name. I _was _quite partial to fried chicken, but how could she have known such a thing, when I had not even realized my fondness until that moment? Then I remembered the last dream, the one that had found me digging through the picnic basket, in search of the battered and deep-fried goodness called fried chicken and realized that I had craved the culinary delight at least once before.

I did not realize that I was staring at her until she began to stare back at me, and her forthright reaction to what ought to have embarrassed her caused me to flush self-consciously instead. My days of communicating with a child were long forgotten, save for a few more poignant memories, and I wondered what I ought to say, what I ought to do for several moments, until it dawned on me that she might like a piece of chicken as well.

"Thank you," she said cheerfully, her smile lighting her eyes from within as she took the offering from my hand. "I was beginning to think that you were going to hog every last piece, and that wouldn't have been fair at all, would it?"

"You are very welcome, miss," I said, feeling foolish, because I did not know her name. "And no, it would not have been fair for me to take all of the chicken for myself, though I am dreadfully hungry."

I tried to keep my voice as lighthearted as I could manage, but I knew that she heard the hesitation and uneasiness in my tone just as clearly as I did. "You don't know who I am, do you?" she asked, taking a tiny nibble of her drumstick, all the while watching me with that same look in her eyes, despite the fact that she had to have been offended that I did not recognize her.

"No, I do not," I admitted, convinced that complete honesty was the best route for me to take at that time. "Should I know you, little one?"

She smiled, and finished her piece of chicken, reaching forward to grasp one of the napkins that were lying, perfectly pressed, beside the picnic basket. "Yes, you should," she said, wiping her mouth and her hands, all the while watching me with eyes that I recognized, but could not place. "Because I know you, and I love you, and it would make me very sad to ever be without you again."

* * *

I closed my eyes for just an instant, so that I could attempt to process the words that the child had spoken, and when I opened them again I realized that I had not awoken, as I had first suspected, but rather, I was in a different dream, one that I had endured countless times before, and I immediately wished that I had never closed my eyes and lost that moment with the little girl, just so that I could enter a place that brought me nothing but heartache and misery.

The fog bank was especially thick this time, so much so that I barely even caught a glimpse of Talia's hair as she eluded me, time and again, until I was ready to shout and curse the day that I had learned of her existence. My life would have been so much easier, had I never laid eyes on her as a child…but I would be living each day in a pit, if I was still living at all, so I suppose I owed her for giving me my life back, though the cost to me had been so pricey in the end.

"Please do not run from me," I pleaded with her, chasing her from one place to another, always missing her, despite my best efforts. "I do not know what it is that you want from me, Talia, but how am I ever to learn, so that I might appease your restless spirit, if you will not permit me to speak to you?"

I could hear the pain and desperation that was in my voice and I loathed the sound of it, I hated to acknowledge that I was still so weak where she was concerned, so much so that I was literally on the brink of tears. When had I become so weak? Had I ever truly been a strong man, or had that all been an illusion as well?

"Damn you, face me!" I shouted, curling my hands into fists, as rage took hold of me. "Do you not think that you owe me that much, at the very least, after all that I have done for you?"

Sadly enough, I already knew the answer to my query. She had proved that I was nothing more to her than a means to have her vision, her father's vision, for Gotham realized. Talia had never loved me, at least, not in the way, with the intensity and devotion that I had her, so why should she do anything to soothe my ragged soul, why mend a heart that never held any worth for you?

"Please," I whispered brokenly, well past the point where I could muster enough pride to keep myself from begging. "Do as I bid this one time, and I promise that I will never ask you again."

I was not certain, even as the words left my mouth, whether or not my vow was one that I had the ability to honor, but I was desperate for a resolution, so much so that I was willing to resort to falsehoods if doing so would bring about a surcease from my suffering. In most cases I could not abide one who lied, but desperate times called for desperate measures, did they not?

Suddenly the fog began to clear, and I began to see glimpses of her, telltale signs that she had heeded my pleas and was willing to comply with them, to offer me a little peace…only, something was not right. Her feet were bare, and smaller than I had remembered them to be. Her hair was longer, flowing down her back, close to her waist, and her eyes, they were big and brown, not…..

It was not Talia who greeted me from the fog as it cleared, it was Malayna who waited for me, Malayna who chose to soothe my heart and alleviate my pain, just as she always had, since the first time she had stepped foot into my hospital room. What was odd was that I was not all that surprised to see her, and what was truly astonishing was that I was _relieved_ to see her stepping out of the fog, my lovely little mouse, not Talia al Ghûl.

"Here I am, love," she said softly, without a trace of the stammer that I had grown so used to. She stepped toward me, holding out her hand to me, which I took eagerly. "I didn't mean to make you worry, Bane. I was coming right back, don't I always come back to you?"

I pulled her toward me, into my arms, bending so that I could place my nose against her crown and breathe in her scent. "Of course you do, my dear," I said, holding her tight against me, so that I could feel her, snuggled as close as she could be. "I do not know why I was so worried, Malayna. It was foolish of me to think that you were lost to me, was it not?"

She tightened her hold on me and nodded her head, and that was when it dawned on me that she could hear me. She was not reading my lips, she was not merely feeling the tremors of my words as they rumbled through my chest, she was actually hearing each of them as they left my mouth, and all of my sadness left me in that instant, and I was deliriously happy, even though I knew that it was not real.

"I would be inconsolably wretched without you, Bane," she said seriously, then giggled as she looked up at me. "Goodness, I sound like one of the characters of some cheesy gothic romance novel, don't I? Perhaps _Miss Bishop and the Bewitching Baron Bane_…is that too tacky?"

I closed my eyes and smiled. "Maybe just a little bit," I said. "Personally, I prefer _Bane and the Mesmerizing Miss Malayna_, though that is not a title that designates the tome as one of the 'gothic romance' persuasion, does it?"

"Sounds mighty interesting to me," a voice answered, a grating, slimy type of tone, one that immediately set my teeth on edge and informed me that my dream had ended, that I was back in reality, and had just revealed myself, and the tenor of my relationship with Malayna, to some smug sounding bastard, who was shown to be the Toad Man, as my mouse referred to him, when I mustered the gumption to peek out at him, not that he had not already deduced the nature for himself, I was certain, having found me in her bed. "I imagine that it will sound even more interesting to Dr. Adelai, once I've filled him in…unless you and I were to come to some sort of arrangement, that is."


	12. A Dime A Dozen

Chapter Twelve

A Dime A Dozen

Bane's POV

I had been summoned to the room that Dr. Adelai referred to as The Throne Room, a moniker which brought several improper and inappropriate images to mind. I assumed that he had done so because he wished to chastise me for my attempt to remove the Toad Man's windpipe that morning, and that was the only reason that I had acquiesced to leave Malayna behind, as he had requested. My little mouse had no knowledge of the events that had transpired in her bedroom, and if I had my way she would never know what depths I could sink to, when I was encouraged to do so.

Dr. Adelai was not there to greet me, though I had been asked, and had agreed, to arrive promptly at noon. I felt my irritation at being summoned like a disobedient canine, to receive a swat to the end of my nose to warn against future infractions, swell to something that could easily be called anger, and I wondered if that had been his intention all along. Perhaps he liked what I had done to the Toad Man, perhaps he hoped to encourage me to acts of violence which were bigger and better, but he was wasting his time. I had that part of myself under control, and I would never loosen the beast again…at least that was what I told myself.

I was quite a hypocrite, was I not? I _had_ loosed that beast just this morning, had I not? Clearly I was not in control of my impulses, at least not where threats to myself, and especially, to Malayna were concerned. I did not want to be that man any longer, I had long since grown weary of who I had been for most of my life, but how on earth did one go about changing themselves so thoroughly?

I walked over to the window that Malayna had been made to look out of during our first visit with Dr. Adelai. The view was magnificent, at least, it was to my eyes, though I suspected that my darling girl did not, and would never, have the same opinion. I had grasped enough of her dream the night before to know that she had lost her family, and her hearing, in a horrible accident, one which involved heights and water, but she was not willing to speak of it, and I would not force her to do so either, not now, not ever.

I heard the door open behind me, and hastened to fashion my features into those that were calm and collected, and completely unconcerned with the fact that I'd been kept waiting for a quarter of an hour. I turned slowly from the window to face the good doctor, in a manner that I hoped conveyed that I had not a care in the world…an expression that died a quick and absolute death when my eyes met those of Bianca Adelai, who smirked at me, and winked, then locked the door, to ensure that we would not be disturbed.

"Good afternoon, Bane," she purred as she moved toward me. "I hope that you will excuse my father's absence, but he had an urgent meeting, one that could not be avoided, and he asked that I meet with you in his stead."

It was truly amazing that she had managed to express herself articulately. I had given her credit for having the intelligence of a turkey, at the most, but perhaps I would have to rethink that estimation and advance her to the stage of a rat, though not quite an orangutan, and certainly not a chimpanzee. Of course, there was always the possibility that I was being far too generous, given the way that she was behaving, along with the way that she was dressed.

I suppose that she would consider the wobbling, stilted gait of her walk to be one that was provocative and stirring, but I was too distracted by her ensemble to pay any attention to her manner of strutting, and when I say distracted, I do not mean in a good fashion either. Her dress, if you could deem such a scant amount of material a dress, would have made a common prostitute look downright classy in comparison, and the matching stiletto heels that undoubtedly contributed to her inability to walk properly added a good six inches to her height, giving her the overall appearance of an emaciated giraffe.

"I believe that I will return to my room," I said, doing my best to sidestep her, an attempt that proved futile as she closed the small space that separated us. "You may convey to your father that I will meet with him at another time, and that I have no desire to discuss my treatment with anyone other than him or Miss Bishop."

Her heavy eye makeup cracked beneath the strain of her smirk, and she ran the tip of her tongue over her collagen enhanced lips, in a pathetic bid, once again, to make herself attractive to me, which only nauseated me further. She continued to teeter toward me, effectively backing me against the wall, which was a position that I never enjoyed finding myself in, and which only served to spark my temper fully to life within me.

"Surely you don't wish to leave me here, all by my lonesome, do you?" she murmured, sidling between my legs and running her palms up my chest, to rest on my shoulders. "Daddy put me in charge of you today, so I'm afraid that you have no choice but to stay here and listen to what I have to say. That nurse that you chose over me can wait a little longer. I wouldn't think that you'd want to encourage her too much, would you? She's so…_needy_, and she doesn't truly know how to keep a man like you happy, does she?"

I felt the dangerous side of me, the maniacal fiend, the monster coming to life within me, I could hear him whispering to me, pleading with me to loosen him, so that the slut could be made to understand the full impact of her idiocy, but I knew better than to listen to him. Giving him any sort of rein, no matter how constrained, twice in one day would be too perilous, and would undoubtedly encourage him to stay put as long as he wished.

"Move away from me," I said harshly, placing my hands between her arms, to forcibly remove her grasp from my shoulders. "You assume too much, Miss Adelai, you give yourself airs and make presumptions which could prove to be grievous to you, should you choose to continue in this fashion. You have no say-so over me, nor does your father, and I would ask that you remind him of that fact as well, when he returns."

She brushed her lips against my cheek before I could shove her back away from me, and I angrily swiped my hand against my flesh, my lip curling in disgust when I saw the crimson stain on my palm. "You would also do well to refrain from ever uttering a word about Miss Bishop in my presence, unless it is your intention to fully enrage me and require that I teach you never to speak out of turn again."

I made myself walk away from her, so that I would not be tempted to forget my intentions to keep a tight leash 'round my self-control and busted through the double doors, not bothering to pause long enough to order her to open them for me. I took several deep breaths as I made my way into the corridor…and ran right into Malayna, whose eyes widened as she looked at me, her gaze traveling the length of my body, landing again and again on my cheek, where I knew the blemish that the trollop had left on me still rested.

"Are you certain that you wouldn't prefer to stay here with me, Bane?" Miss Adelai asked from the doorway behind me, her voice filled with an unhealthy amount of humor. "Take it from me when I say that it is unlikely that you will make her understand this the way that you want her to, and she's more likely to believe what she sees, given that she can't hear, wouldn't you agree?"

I curled my hands into fists at my sides and kept myself rooted in place by the sheer force of my will, and a strong desire that Malayna not see me as she had that unfortunate day in her room ever again. I stayed that way until I heard the doors shut behind me, and then I dared to look into the eyes that I had grown so very fond of, expecting to see disgust, or at the very least, derision, so it took me by surprise when I saw her eyes, which had been directed scornfully at Miss Adelai, soften when they turned in my direction.

"I did nothing to encourage her, my dear," I said plaintively, feeling the anger leave me as I lost myself in her gaze, the one that I feared might still turn cold and filled with hate. "I promise you, I would never….."

Her fingertip landed on my lips, silencing me in an instant, and I took a deep, shaking breath as she stepped up to me, sliding her arms around my neck and pressing herself against me, and my heart stuttered, then stopped altogether for a moment, then two as she pressed her lips against mine and what started as soft and searching quickly grew to what was rousingly ravenous, and I could not keep my hands at her waist, as was proper. I reached down and took hold of her backside and pulled her closer, moving her in a slow and torturous rhythm against the flesh that she had awakened, capturing her gasp of surprise, and taking pleasure in encouraging her to repeat the sound.

My mouth left hers and trailed kisses down her throat, pausing now and then to nip at her sensitive flesh, very gently, with my teeth, until the sound that she had made, which I would describe as a quiet gasp, grew to a moan, a whimper, and I just could not convince myself to stop, even though we were in a corridor, not in one of our rooms, and we were running the risk of being discovered at any moment.

I will be honest and admit that I had imagined this moment between us, several times, as a matter of fact, but this was not exactly what I had envisioned. There were no candles to be found, no bubble bath, waiting for her, to envelope her within its warmth and frame her breasts with frothy lather…which meant that I had to stop, while I still had an ounce of self-control. There was no denying that I did not want to stop, that I wanted to take her into my arms and lower her to the floor, to love her as thoroughly as I could, but she was a fine lady, my Malayna was, and I was determined to treat her as such in every aspect of our lives together, which meant that I had to wait, whether I wanted to or not.

It was difficult to make myself stop, to move away from her, and when I say difficult, I mean that it was damn near impossible, but I made myself. I looked down into her eyes and almost lost all of my resolve when I saw the sleepy arousal that was swimming in their depths, knowing that _I_ was the one who had made her look that way, and to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that stopping was just as frustrating for her as it was for me.

"Sh-shall we return to our room, my dear?" I asked quietly, my voice catching as I attempted to articulate my thoughts. It took some effort, to keep my mind from traveling to the bathtub that was close to our rooms, and even more damning, to the bed, but somehow I managed to make those thoughts secondary. "We have a good amount of work that needs to be done, do we not?"

She smiled at me, and unconsciously, or, perhaps very consciously, shimmied against the part of me that was still crying out for her in a very loud, extremely insistent voice. "You go on ahead w-without me," she said, rising onto her tiptoes to place a feather soft kiss to my lips. "There's something that I need to t-take care of first, but I'll be along in a short while, I promise."

I was hesitant to leave her behind, but I saw the look that was in her eyes, the one that stated unequivocally that she would not be entertaining any arguments that I might have had the audacity to voice, and I took her face in my palms and graced her with my own parting kiss, very deliberately moving myself against her, to show her that I would be waiting anxiously for her to join me, back in our room, on the bed, perhaps, if I was feeling particularly bold, which I had a good idea I would be, knowing myself as well as I did.

"Do not keep me waiting long, my dear," I said, reluctantly releasing her and turning to leave. "I am most impatient to continue this conversation with you."

I heard her giggle, and then, as I was walking away, I felt her hand reach out and cup my backside, for just an instant, and it was all that I could do to keep myself from jumping and shouting at the unexpected, and very pleasant caress. Perhaps I was not the only one who was feeling emboldened this afternoon…what a perfectly lovely turn of events, would you not agree?

Malayna's POV

I watched Bane as he walked away, and choked back a laugh when I saw him reach back and rub his hand over the spot where I had grabbed his backside. I ought to have been blushing; I couldn't even begin to fathom what had come over me, to make me behave the way that I had…..

_You know what that was, sweetheart. That was desire for a man, the all-consuming sort of need that a woman feels for that one man who stirs her in ways that she's never felt before. Your Granddad, God bless him, used to have that effect on me. I can still remember the first time he took me into his arms and….._

"Too m-much info, Granny," I murmured, moving to stand in front of the double doors that led into The Throne Room, a name which always, without fail, brought to mind a room filled with toilets of all shapes and sizes. "I know that you and Granddad shared s-something special, but I don't need a visual in my mind that will haunt me until the day that I die, if you don't mind."

She laughed heartily and I smiled as I pictured how she would look, with her eyes dancing with mirth. _I wouldn't have thought you'd be a prude, sweetheart, but that's alright if you don't want to hear all of the nitty-gritty details. The point that I'm trying to make is that you and this Bane fella share the same kind of bond that I enjoyed with your Granddad, and while I won't say that I approve, or even that I understand what you see in this man, I will tell you that there is an issue that needs to be dealt with, that being the hussy that thinks that he belongs to her…you __**do**__ understand what I'm telling you, don't you, Malayna?_

I did understand, I fully comprehended her meaning, and that was the thought that had me pushing open the doors, which were hanging somewhat crookedly on their hinges after Bane had bodily pushed his way through their confines. I hadn't liked Bianca Adelai from the first moment I'd laid eyes on her, and that dislike had only grown, until this moment, where it became a burning, all-consuming hatred, one that fired my blood until it threatened to boil within my veins.

I had known what had happened the moment that I laid eyes on Bane. It didn't matter that there was a lipstick stain on his cheek, it didn't matter that she had slinked up behind him, wearing a thoroughly self-satisfied smile, because I trusted Bane, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he didn't want the blond slut in any way, shape or form. It was true that his eyes had been filled with dismay when they met mine, but it was concern for me that bolstered that look, not guilt, and it hadn't taken me long to add two and two together and come to the conclusion that the fault lay solely with the skanky Miss Adelai.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I made my way into the room, a good deal of the rhythm belonging to my temper, though there were still remnants of the quivers that Bane had brought to life within me with his mouth and his hands. The blond was lounging in Bane's chair, one impossibly long leg thrown over the arm, while the other rocked slowly, back and forth, while one hand ran in a slow caress up her thigh. Apparently she hadn't heard the door open, because the sight of me caused her to start, and the chair toppled to the floor when she hastily jumped to her feet, and I couldn't help but smile wickedly as she nearly lost her balance.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, straightening the hem of her tiny dress. "Shouldn't you be tending to Mr. Bane? That is your _job_, isn't it?"

I couldn't hear her tone, but her body language suggested that it would be one that was sarcastic and filled with scorn. I knew what she meant, I recognized that she viewed this moment as an opportunity to put me in my place, to remind me that I was a mere employee, and nothing else. I suppose that it was impossible for her to wrap her mind around the notion that a man like Bane wanted me instead of her, but then, when one was in possession of a mind like that of a gnat, I would imagine that there was very little that she could ever hope to understand.

"Stay away from him," I said, savoring the look of shock that came over her face. "He belongs t-to me."

Dammit…I would have preferred to keep my voice steady and strong while I addressed her, but I suppose that it was to be expected, that there would be the occasional stammer when I spoke. It was something that grew with emotion, and I endeavored to keep my anger in check as much as I could, because it was unthinkable and unacceptable to me, the notion that I would spend these crucial moments stuttering and stumbling over my words.

"What did you say?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she moved toward me, to tower over me in her spindly heels.

"I understand what happened perfectly, t-there is no reason for Bane to explain anything to m-me, because I can see things for myself just fine, despite the f-fact that I can't hear, and I knew in a heartbeat that he never touched you, that he has never touched you, t-that he will never touch you."

She was standing close to me, so close that I had to bend back my neck so that I could look into her face while I spoke to her. I wasn't certain whether she was making an attempt to mask her anger and her contempt, but if she was, she was doing an awful job at appearing cool and calm and collected. Her face had taken on an ugly red flush, a shade which didn't compliment her heavily tanned skin at all. Her nostrils were flaring and quivering, her lips were trembling and she was blinking furiously…all in all, I'd say that she was just a little mad, a tad enraged, and I couldn't help but smile as I drank in the aftermath of my words.

"You're a ballsy little bitch, aren't you?" she said, reaching out a hand to slap me. "What would a man like Bane want with a fat little bit of nothing like you, hmm? You think that you know so much, but let me tell you something, dummy, there isn't a man alive who doesn't want a woman like me, and he _will_ be mine, and you will be gone, and everything will work out just like it's supposed to….."

Her words died in an instant as my hand met her cheek, repaying her for the blow that she'd visited upon me, but unlike her, I didn't stop with one slap. I hit her again and again, backing her across the room with the force of my hand striking first one cheek and then the other, until she was backed up against the wall, holding her face, with tears streaming from her eyes, while she sank to the floor. I'd never been one to handle things violently, as a matter of fact, I'd never struck another person in my whole life, but I knew that a person like her couldn't be reasoned with, and I found that my temper helped me immensely when it came to getting my point across as plainly, and painfully, as possible.

"That's not being 'ballsy'," I said, standing over her while she cowered. "That's just me telling the t-truth. I'm not really fat either; you're just unaccustomed to the sight of someone who eats their meals as opposed to throwing them up. I don't know why Bane wants me, I just know that he does, and you need to accept the fact that there is one man alive who doesn't want you, and who never will."

I leaned closer to her, and she flinched, though she needn't have worried, because I wasn't going to hit her anymore. "Stay away from Bane," I reiterated, speaking slowly, so that she wouldn't miss a word. "He belongs to me, I belong to him, and there isn't anyone or anything in creation that will change that."

I didn't wait for her to answer me, I just turned and left the room, confident that she was a problem that was handled, at least for the moment, and that meant that I could return to my room, where Bane was waiting for me. I knew that there was no way that we were going to get anything accomplished this afternoon that didn't involve hands and lips, at the very least, but I wasn't inclined to complain…especially after I opened my bedroom door and found him lying on my bed, wearing nothing but his black boxer briefs and a big smile.

"There you are, darling," he said, smiling at me and holding out his hand, in an invitation. "Would you care to join me?"


	13. Desire Unlocks Its Door

Chapter Thirteen

Desire Unlocks Its Door

Malayna's POV

There really wasn't any question about whether I _wanted_ to join him on the bed, because every last part of my being shouted out with an affirmative to that request. The real question lay in whether I _ought_ to join him or not. I was fairly innocent and untested, a mostly ignorant woman who knew nothing beyond what I'd seen in movies and on television, and what I'd read, but there was a look in his eyes that I recognized none the less, one that told me that an afternoon filled with snuggling and smooching was not all that he had in mind for the two of us, were I to accept his invitation.

"Come now, my dear, do not be shy," he said, smiling at me in a way that was downright seductive, in a way that I felt, for some odd reason, take hold of me, between my thighs. "I will not hurt you, my sweet, and I promise not to bite you…not unless you want me to, that is."

What had started as a shiver between my thighs grew to a heartbeat, an aching rhythm that encouraged me to step forward and take hold of his hand. "It's not shyness," I said, thinking to myself that it was uncertainty and the fear of proving myself as an ignorant virgin that held me back instead. "And I know that you won't hurt me, B-bane…not unless I ask you to, that is."

His eyes widened, for just an instant, then flared with something that I recognized as arousal as he pulled me down, to lie beside him on the bed. "Don't y-you want me to take off my clothes first?" I asked, blushing both from self-consciousness, and the sense that I was completely inexperienced, an annoying feeling that refused to leave me alone. "I mean, well, wouldn't t-that make things easier for you….?"

My voice trailed away as he kissed me, turning on the bed to take me into his arms and press me flush against the bare yumminess of his chest. He lowered me onto my back and hovered over me, kissing me softly, to begin with, then with a hunger that was hinted here and there with the searching tip of his tongue as it wandered into my mouth and raised shivers all throughout my body.

He tasted me, devoured me, until I was arching beneath him and could feel what I imagined were whimpers of pleasure rising from my throat and escaping through my mouth, when suddenly he moved away from me, scooting to the edge of the bed, then standing beside it, staring down at me while his chest rapidly rose and fell with the cadence of his frenzied breathing.

I tried, in vain, to stop my eyes from straying to the front of his undershorts, to that place that was swollen with arousal, but for some reason it seemed that my eyes were drawn to that spot over and over again, almost as if there were metal plates in his Jockey shorts, and magnets in my eyeballs. I knew what laid beneath that flimsy cover of black cotton, I had seen it many times, though rarely in the state that it was in at that moment, and I felt a thrill of purely feminine superiority, knowing that _I_ was the one who'd done that to him, that _I_ was the one who had him all hot and bothered…which was why it puzzled me, and worried me, just a little, that he was standing _next_ to the bed, as opposed to lying beside me, which was where he belonged.

He followed my gaze, and I watched, with a smile, as a flush broke out on his cheeks, but my moment of mirth was lost when he looked at me with a gaze that was thoroughly predatory in nature. "I appreciate your offer to remove your apparel, my dear, but I wish to decline," he said, his words confusing me for just a moment, until I remembered my bewilderment over lying down next to him with all of my clothing on my body. "It may indeed have proven to be easier for me to have access to your delectable form, had you undressed yourself, but it would not have been nearly as satisfying for me as removing each piece myself, would you not agree?"

I wasn't certain how I ought to respond, what did I know about the sensuality that could be associated with undressing another? I made do with nodding, which seemed to be the best answer at the time, and watched, my fingers twining into my bedcovers, as he moved to the foot of the bed and climbed onto the mattress and took my bare foot, the ones with the toenails that had been painted a vibrant shade of red, while the other foot's nails were adorned with the palest shade of pink, and slowly rubbed his thumbs over it, building the suspense for several moments, before he concentrated his efforts on the hollows that rested beneath my ankle bones and I felt a moan escape me as I arched myself off of the bed.

I couldn't say for certain whether he'd expected that fevered of a response from me or not, but there was an expression on his face that surely matched the one that I'd made moments before, when I'd pondered the swollen juncture of his boxer briefs, and it wasn't long before his hands, his wonderfully masculine, and yet, beautiful, hands moved to the foot with the demurely pink nails and worked their magic all over again.

My eyelids slowly closed, and I drew my bottom lip in between my teeth, which rhythmically bit the flesh gently, then released it, as I felt him move toward me on the bed, not stopping until his knees were resting between mine, stretching my legs, to make room for himself. I was awash in the sensuality of the moment, and I lost myself in it, only opening my eyes when I felt his hands cup my face and his thumbs caress my eyelids.

"Do not close your eyes, Malayna," he said, moving his hands to the waistband of my pants, to untie them, but only after he was certain that my attention was fully on him, with my eyes wide open. "Do not hide from me, my dear."

I started to explain to him that I hadn't been hiding from him at all, but any attempt that I might have made to speak fled me when I felt him slowly drawing my pants down, and off of me, followed moments later by my panties, leaving me completely bare, and vulnerable, from the waist down. I waited for him to speak again, to hopefully say something that would ease my embarrassment, but he didn't say a word as he shimmied back to the foot of the mattress…and reached up to run his hands in an agonizingly erotic caress up my calves, to my knees, working his fingers 'round to the soft skin that lay behind that spot, discovering yet another place that made me pant and moan.

I felt him move his hands beneath my bare backside, where they stayed for several moments, until he used his grip to lift me up off of the bed, holding the bottom half of my body in the air, then I watched his head bend down, and for one panicked moment I thought that he intended to touch me _there_, but he kissed my thighs instead, running his lips and his tongue over them, gently nipping my flesh, and then he lowered me back down and placed his hands beneath my t-shirt, quickly drawing it off of me, followed just as swiftly by my bra, leaving me fully, and agonizingly, naked as he settled his body on top of mine and captured my mouth with his own.

I had been kissed by him before, several times, as a matter of fact, but I'd never done so the way that I was at that moment. For one thing, I'd never been naked in his arms until then, I'd never felt the rough puckered skin of his scars against my body and I realized, with a startled gasp, that he was naked as well, a fact that he emphasized by brushing his uncovered, and fully aroused, penis against the sensitive, aching, swollen and very wet core of my femininity.

I went very still beneath him, and he must have sensed my growing apprehension, because he released his hold on my mouth and looked down at me, with concern showing itself through the haze of arousal that was in his eyes. "There is no need for you to be afraid, Malayna," he said, bending to kiss me once more, very softly and very gently. "It is not time for that moment yet, my sweet. There is still more that I wish to do, before I make you mine, so please relax, and trust me to take care of you."

It sounded so easy, but what sounded simple, coming from him, proved to be a bit more difficult for me…until he moved down just a bit, easing the pressure that his flesh had placed upon mine, and took one of my breasts in his hand. For a moment he simply looked at it, and smiled, then, once I'd just begun to relax, he bent his head close, and blew a warm gust of breath across the nipple, and then, when I felt what might have been a gasp leave my lips, he took the nipple into his mouth and lavished all of his attention on it, kissing and licking and suckling, while his fingertips sought, and found, its twin, and teased it as well.

I'd just begun to adjust my senses to the feel of his mouth, and his fingers, on my breasts, when suddenly I felt his hand gliding down from my chest, over my tummy, to trace his fingertips between my legs, searching out, and finding, the place that had grown swollen with need, and damp from my desire for him. I knew what he was looking for, I'd found it often enough all on my own throughout the years, and I held my breath in anticipation, knowing how good it would feel, once he found that responsive nodule and charmed it out of its confines, but nothing of my past experiences could have prepared me for the sensations that his fingertips brought to life with the gentlest, caressing touch.

It was a completely different sensation, to be touched by someone that you longed for, rather than simply touching yourself. My fingertips knew the routine necessary to bring me to orgasm, so they didn't need to take the time to learn the contours of my flesh. They went about the task of stroking me to my peak without a thought of differing their style or their pace, and it was amazing to experience the differences between his touch, with his roughened, curious fingertip, and my smaller, smoother one.

It was mesmerizing, to watch his eyes, looking up at me while his tongue teased my nipple and his finger teased my clitoris, to lose myself in his gaze, as well as his touch, and to know that my own hand would be unacceptable to me, now that I knew what I could feel, when he was the one who was touching me. How could I ever hope to climb those heights in the days to come, if he wasn't the one who was guiding me to completion?

Several moments passed, and my arousal, my need for him grew by leaps and bounds, until I was writhing on the bed and tangling my fingers in his hair. I knew that I was whimpering, I knew that my thighs were wantonly spread beneath him, urging him to return to me, because I was ready, because I needed him, and when he didn't comply, when he seemed intent upon teasing and torturing me, I found myself speaking to him, leaving him with no doubts where I wanted him, how I wanted him, and when I wanted him, though I did make an effort to issue my orders as nicely as possible.

"Now, Bane," I said, reaching down to pull at him, to bring him back to the spot where I wanted him most. Please, Bane, p-please, I'm r-ready for you now."

It dawned on me that he might draw things out, that he might tease me and make me beg; until I remembered the man that he was, and knew that he'd never be so cruel. Sure enough, he moved back between my thighs, and my hands found, and gripped his back, hard, when I felt the hot smoothness of his flesh pressed against the part of me that was so hungry for him, that cried out and begged for release. He closed his eyes for just an instant, and I felt him take a deep, shuddering breath, then he opened his eyes once more and concentrated his gaze on me with an intensity that made me breathless.

"Are you certain that this is what you want, my dear?" he asked, slowly rocking against me, his flesh almost, but not quite, making its way into mine. "I will not be angry if you say no, but I need to know your answer right now, Malayna, while I still have the ability to rein myself in, if needs be….."

I lifted my head and kissed him, then smiled and ran my hands in a slow caress down his back, taking extra care to be especially gentle as my fingertips glided over his scars. "Love me, Bane," I whispered, pleased that I hadn't stammered once, not in this moment when my words were so crucial. "I just want you to love me."

He did it again; I could fill his chest move in, and then out, as he slowly filled, then emptied his lungs. "I already do, my sweet," he said, unhurriedly making the first tentative steps toward making me his in every way. "I have for quite some time."

Bane's POV

She was all that I had dreamed that she would be, and, in several ways, even more than I would have hoped for. She was beauty and grace, she was softness and strength, and she was every sensual movement and every stirring sound. I could have spent hours simply staring at her, drinking her in, before I laid my hands upon her, before I captured her mouth with my own, but this was our first time, and though I could not speak for anyone else, for myself, I found that my need to claim her as my own trumped my desire to take hours to make her mine, and I reasoned that there would be plenty of time for that later on.

I was not certain what the proper etiquette was when it came to professing one's love for another. I could not say whether or not I had made a mistake with my words, based on the perceptions of society, but I swiftly reached the decision that I could care less what anyone else had to say on the matter, when it was so evident to me, so blatantly and wonderfully obvious, that Malayna was thrilled to hear my admission.

Truthfully, I was not certain when I had discovered that I loved her, perhaps I never had truly realized the depth of my feelings for her until that moment, but as I started to move within her, taking deep, even breaths in an attempt to maintain complete control over my raging arousal, I was filled with the awareness that it wasn't just her body that I wanted, but that I needed her heart as well, just as my own broken body and wretched heart were hers for the taking, should she want them, and it buoyed my spirits even further to realize that she, miraculously enough, did.

She was snugly warm and silken as she embraced me, and I couldn't help but groan as I felt her slowly accommodate me, massaging me in a way that threatened the tenuous hold that I held on my self-control. I had never ruminated on the size of my manhood, it was not something that had been a concern to me at any time in my life, but all of that changed when I was faced with the fact that she was so small, that she was thoroughly innocent, and it dawned on me that I could hurt her, badly, even though I took care to be as gentle as possible, and I was faced with an agonizing decision in that moment, whether to proceed, or to desist.

I looked down at her, in an effort to read what she was feeling at that moment, to gauge what her needs were, but it was a difficult endeavor, because there was a gamut of varying emotions vying for the dominant position on her face. "I know that I am hurting you, Malayna," I said, speaking through teeth that were tightly clenched. "I will stop, if the pain is too much for you to handle, but you must tell me to do so _right now_….."

My words died, and my heart stumbled in its beating, then resumed with furious fervor when I felt her twine her legs around my waist, and her arms hugged me close, while she struggled to smile reassuringly at me. "I d-don't want you to stop, my love," she said shakily, as a lone tear traced a path down her cheek. "The pain is inevitable, b-but it is worth it, and I can endure it, b-because I know that you will make it go away."

Well now, there was no pressure, or unrealistic expectations to be found in those words, was there? I knew that I'd given her a good amount of pleasure before this moment, I had felt the proof of that, I'd heard it as well, in every gasp and whimper, but would I be able to do the same, after I had caused her so much pain? Was it even possible to find satisfaction, where hurt had so recently existed? I was well-versed in the practice of pain, but pleasure was something relatively new for me, so I did not know what to expect.

"Then I will not stop, my sweet," I whispered, bending my head to kiss her gently, almost reverently. "I will simply take things slowly, and I will do everything in my power to make the pain go away, I promise."

I kissed my way around the line of her jaw, then down her neck, which bore the faint traces of her perfume as I pushed further into her silken grasp, gritting my teeth against the exquisite sensation of her welcoming me, little by little, until I felt the delicate proof of her innocence, and, with a deep breath, and a murmured apology, I rended it as gently as I possibly could, then groaned aloud as I felt her tighten on me, once, then twice, as her body struggled to accommodate me.

I could hear the erratic sound of her breathing, I could feel the frantic beat of her heart, and I did not need to look down at her face to know that she was crying, but I did so anyway, as a means of penance, because I was the one who was causing her pain. It made my heart ache, to see the harsh reality of what I had done to her, but then her eyes locked onto mine, and she smiled tremulously, and I felt a weight being lifted from me when she nodded at me, then hesitantly, and shyly, moved against me, the first tentative step, taken by her, instead of me, and I knew that she was telling me that it was safe to proceed, and, after gritting my teeth and admonishing myself to go slowly, I carefully followed her lead.

Every stroke was one that filled me with pleasure, elation unlike any that I had ever known before, but it was an ecstasy that was given with the steepest cost that I could imagine, the near impossible task of controlling myself until I had provided her with the pleasure necessary to alleviate the pain that I had caused her. I could feel my restraint pulling at the bounds that I had hastily set in place, and I knew that the threat of me having the mastery and control of an adolescent boy grew with each clasp of her warmth, and it seemed that all was lost…until I remembered that tiny bundle of nerves that rested with the confines of the summit of her femininity, and it was a joyful realization, to know that there was still a chance for me to redeem myself.

The spot was easy to find, after all, I had done so once already, and I possessed an excellent memory. I somehow managed to retain the steady pace of my movements, and, after finding her clitoris, and drawing it out of its hiding place with the soft caresses that I knew it preferred, I matched the rhythm of my fingertip with the pace of my hips, which lunged, then retreated, between Malayna's thighs, and wonder of wonders, it was not long before she was writhing beneath me, her fingernails steadily biting into my back, then suddenly, as if by magic, I watched her eyes grow blurry, then seemingly sightless, as the force of her release took hold of her and she came apart beneath me, screaming my name again and again.

With each cry, with each arch that her body made beneath mine, there was a rhythmic clasping of her fiery sheath upon my flesh, and all thoughts of patience and gentleness went out the window as my hands stole beneath her body and lifted her, still screaming and undulating wildly, to receive the lunges that grew more and more frenzied, 'til at last I joined her, with a triumphant shout of her name, in the all-consuming oblivion of absolute fulfillment.

I could not say for certain how long we stayed that way, breathless and glowing, clinging to one another as those who had just survived a shipwreck might, but the air around us grew chilly as our dampened flesh slowly lost the heat of our passion, and I released my hold on her just long enough to pull back the covers and move both her and myself beneath them before I drew her back into my arms, close to my side, which was right where she belonged.

"I love you, Bane," she said softly, turning toward me, and pressing a delicate kiss against my cheek. "I don't know when, or where, but that doesn't matter, does it? What matters is the how and the why, don't you agree?"

I nodded and held her close, as tightly as I dared. I wanted to ask her what the 'how' and the 'why' was, because I could not imagine what I had done to make her love me, but that topic would wait, for another time, and another place, because all that mattered to me, in that moment, was the fact that she cared for me, just as much as I adored her.

"I love you as well, my sweet and lovely mouse," I murmured, turning up her face so that she did not miss a single word. "And yes, that is all that matters, for what could possibly be more important than that?"


	14. Night Unfurls Its Splendor

Chapter Fourteen

Night Unfurls Its Splendor

Bane's POV

The emptiness in my arms, the space that should have been filled with a warm and soft and very naked Malayna, awoke me, not completely, but just enough that my hands glided over the sheets, searching for her, and found that she had not simply left me, but that she had left the bed altogether, and for one brief moment I panicked, and my eyes flew open as I sat up in bed…only to see that the door to her bathroom was closed, with a thin line of light showing beneath. I could hear the shower running, and that made me relax, and I felt all of the tension leave my body, until I turned on the bedside lamp and saw the scant, telltale stain of crimson on the sheets, and everything seemed to freeze, and I was seized, and filled, with an enormous sense of shame and self-loathing.

I suppose that the sight of that aftermath of my possession ought not to have shaken me to the core of my being, but it did so none the less. I was a man who had brought about a great deal of bloodshed in my life, but this was different. I had done monstrous things, but this was the first time that I felt the full brunt of my actions, and what made it worse was the fact that I had caused her pain, I had shed the crimson proof of her innocence, in love, as opposed to hate, or indifference, for no cause other than the fact that I had wanted, had _needed_ her in every way possible, but I had remained unscathed, no sacrifice had been necessary on my part, and I could not help but feel that she had been cheated out of what she had deserved.

I slowly made my way out of the bed, wincing and cursing beneath my breath as muscles that had been given more of a workout that afternoon than what they were accustomed to, loudly and painfully lodged their complaints. I made my way to the bathroom door, telling myself that I only intended to check on her, that I only meant to see that she was fine, and that she did not need any help, even though I knew, deep down, that my motives were not nearly as considerate and caring as I liked to pretend them to be. The truth of the matter was that she was still naked, and now she was wet as well, and those things combined promised for a scenario that no red-blooded man could resist.

Oh, I would have done just fine resisting the lure, at one point in my life, but all of that had changed when my little mouse came onto the scene. Suddenly I was a licentious sex fiend, and the most alarming thing of all was that I loved every moment of it, and would be damned before I would apologize to anyone for the change that had come over me. It had not been the easiest thing in the world, for me to admit that I was quite obsessed with her, but now that I had, I began to wonder why I had wasted so much time getting to the place that I was in at that moment.

I knew that the time had not been right until now, but as I slowly opened the door, and waited for the steam to billow out, revealing her to me, naked and wet and lovely, just as I had known she would be, I felt like a very fortunate man, the luckiest man in all of creation, as a matter of fact, because she was mine, she loved me, and would never leave me. She did not want me to do anything to prove my devotedness to her, she simply accepted, and returned, it for what it was.

The glass door of the shower was fogged over, but that mist could not hide her from me, when my memory held the shape of her, the feel, and the taste of her, and it was the force of those recollections that encouraged me to cross the room and open the shower door and step inside, thankful that the interior was generously sized, which allowed me plenty of room to move about, without having to worry about bumping into a wall or the door, not that a small space would have discouraged me at all, it was just nice to have been given that consideration, no matter how unintentional, by Dr. Adelai.

"Dammit, Bane, you scared the hell….."

I did not allow her to finish her sentence, which undoubtedly would have morphed itself into a paragraph, filled with chastisement, and liberally interspersed with profanity of one type or another. I chose instead to silence her in a manner that was very satisfying for me, and, I hoped, for her as well, by taking hold of her mouth with my own.

Her lips were wet, and instantly pliant, meeting mine hungrily, and I moaned, deep in my throat, when she arched her body in my embrace, pressing spots that were incredibly soft, and tipped with flesh that grew hard, against my chest, and a place that was all that was warm and inviting against my own straining need, whimpering, rubbing herself against me and whispering my name in a way that almost made me lose control of myself…almost, but not quite.

I could smell the scent of her shampoo in her hair, but I had apparently arrived before she had had the chance to lather her body, and I took great pleasure in filling my hands with the lavender liquid from the dispenser on the wall, rubbing my palms to work the soap up into a froth, so that I could wash her, from the bottoms of her feet to her neck, and every place in between, paying particular attention to certain spots, enough so that it was not long before she was bending and bowing beneath the cleansing caresses of my palms, driving me to distraction by biting down on her lower lip while whimpering my name.

I withstood as much of the sensual torment as I could bear, and then I had to hold her close to me, I had to kiss her, and chuckle when she slipped and slid in my embrace, covering me all over with her soapsuds, until I was just as clean as she was, and also smelled of lavender, though the scent was not nearly as pleasant on me as it was on her.

She joined me in laughter, and we took turns rinsing one another, momentarily setting our passions aside, until she reached back to turn off the water, and the sight of her chest at that moment reminded me of my arousal, and I quickly drew her out of the shower and into my arms, paying no mind at all to the fact that we were both dripping water onto the floor as I carried her out of the bathroom.

"Bane, w-what are you doing?" she asked in a tone that was filled mostly with excitement, though there was a touch of trepidation there as well, and I did not care for that sound at all. "I'm much too heavy for y-you to be carrying me about and on top of that, I'm sopping wet, and you are as well, we'll both catch a c-cold if we don't….."

"Hush, my love. Not another word about the supposed burden of your weight either, or I will be very cross with you," I murmured, drawing her closer, and turning her face toward mine, so that she would see each and every word as it left my mouth. "I am rather desperate for a taste of you, and will not be hindered by the presence of water, nor your foolish misconceptions about your figure. You need not worry about either of us catching cold either, my sweet. You can keep me nice and warm, and I will do the same for you. Does that not sound much pleasanter than the rough embrace of a terrycloth towel?"

I had a good idea that the responsible nurse side of her personality wanted to argue with me, and to point out that we still both ran the risk of catching a chill, no matter how closely we snuggled with one another, and that the day was growing late, so much so that night was upon us, and as such I ought to have my medicine, and we ought to have dinner and so on and so forth.

However, her wanton side, which I could tell was in the lead as the dominant driving force within her, told her to forget any and all dangers, not to mention responsibilities, and just have a good time, and it might have been wicked of me to do so, but I just could not help but encourage her shameless side to take its place as the rightful leader.

I laid her down on the bed and took a moment to pause in my seduction of her to admire her in the light. My eyes traveled the length of her figure, lingering lovingly on each and every part of her, not just the ones that were the predominant features that caught, and held, a man's attention. She was beautifully formed, a lovely sight to behold, and I took my fill, and then some, squirreling the sight away, deep into my memory, for me to recall, should life ever choose to be cruel, and separate us from one another.

"You are exquisite, my dear," I murmured, pleased to see the flush of pink that blossomed to life on her face, and spread down to color her neck, and her shoulders, and finally, her breasts. "I am curious about something that happened earlier, something that I just remembered, and I was hoping that you might clarify it for me."

I could see that my sudden change in direction confused her, and to tell the truth, I was a little taken aback myself, but it had dawned on me, in those pleasant moments spent staring at her stirringly feminine shape, that she would undoubtedly be too sore to receive me so soon after our first joining, but that there were other ways in which I might pleasure her, and then I remembered her reaction earlier in the day, moments before I had kissed her thighs, and there was something that I wanted to do, but I was not certain whether or not she would permit me to do so.

"Why were you so afraid of the possibility that I might wish to kiss you here?" I asked, leaning toward her, with one hand braced on the bed, to softly caress the tips of my fingers over the source of her femininity. "Did you not realize that I would wish to know everything about you, Malayna? I am not a man to be satisfied with possessing only parts of you, my love, I want all of you, but I do not want to force the issue upon you, if this is something that frightens you, or threatens to harm our bond with one another….."

"Shh," she whispered, her voice breaking on a sob of excitement as my finger found, and brought to life, that tiny nubbin of flesh which was so wonderful, and so powerful. "I j-just didn't w-want you to think that I would expect you to do that for me….."

I felt my brow wrinkle in time with the confusion that seized hold of me, and I reached down and pulled her toward the foot of the bed, until her legs were dangling over the side and her backside was perched on the edge of the mattress. Then I bent and kissed her, teasing her, tasting her, until at last she and I were both breathless, and then I took her chin in my hand and held her still, so that I might thoroughly explain myself.

"What is expected by one in regard to the other is not something that has any place whatsoever in lovemaking," I said, moving my hand slowly from her face, down her neck, to both nipples, then further down, to rest between her thighs, and coax her into the sort of response that would bolster me in every way that a man, and his pride, could be encouraged. "And it would not just be you who would experience the pleasure from that act, my dear, because I can assure you that though I would not feel everything in the same way that you would, I will definitely take a great amount of fulfillment from being the one who showed you that pleasure, and to be given the opportunity to know you in that way, and not only have to imagine what it might be like to….."

Blast, I was rambling, was I not? I started to think that I had probably just ruined any chance that I may have had to convince her to allow me to pleasure her with my mouth, but then, wonder of wonders, she smiled at me and nodded. "I think that it would be okay with me, if you w-were to….."

"There can be no 'I think' acquiescence's in moments such as these, Malayna," I interrupted, wanting to ensure that there would be no misconceptions between us. "I need to know, without question, that you trust me to make love to you in this fashion before I proceed, because I do not ever want there to be an occasion when I make a presumption on how to proceed, only to….."

"Just love me, Bane," she whispered, planting her feet flat against the edge of the mattress and scooting upward, and then wantonly parting her thighs, in a clear and stirring invitation. "I don't care how you choose to do so, p-please just love me."

I smiled and lowered myself onto the bed, running my lips, and my tongue, over the silken skin of her thighs, and then gently nipped each one, placing my mark on her in a spot that only I would see, and know of. "I already do, Malayna," I said, peering at her from my place between her thighs. "I have for a good long while; it just took some time to realize where I belonged."

Malayna's POV

My experiences with oral sex, up until that moment, had all been provided to me by romance novels and articles in _Cosmopolitan_, and though each account had provided an ample amount of information on the level of pleasure that could be had from that particular act, they had failed to adequately put into words the way that it felt, from the first gentle, parting touch of his fingers, to the soft, warm, tentative touch of his tongue as it savored the taste of you. Perhaps there weren't words in existence that could sufficiently describe what I was feeling at that moment, but that didn't matter to me, because I was a tad too preoccupied to attempt to do so myself.

I couldn't say with any certainty what his experience level had been, up until that moment, but I did know, I could say that if he was a novice in providing oral pleasure he was doing a good job, a downright _spectacular_ job, as a matter of fact, on his maiden voyage. I suppose that there were those who just had a natural ability when it came to this sort of thing, and I was very thankful that he was one of them.

I closed my eyes and saw bursts of color, I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, startlingly cognizant of, and immersed in, each feather soft stroke of his tongue as it traced along the contours of my most secret place. My hands unconsciously stroked their way to my breasts, my fingertips plucking at my nipples in time with the gentle gliding of his tongue, and then continued to trek downward, to twine themselves in his hair. I knew that I was moaning, I was whimpering, and softly calling his name, but I knew that I couldn't stifle myself, and what's more, I didn't want to.

The quickening inside me intensified, the heartbeat, the wonderfully unbearable aching within me reached its highest, most thrillingly agonizing peak as the tip of his tongue flirted with my tiny bundle of nerves, fleetingly caressing it to life, then moving away, again and again, until I was ready to demand that he cease his torment. One hand remained on his head, my fingers twisted in his hair, while the other made its way to the bedclothes, and gripped them, hard, in my fist, while I hovered on the precipice, writhing beneath his mouth, and finally he took mercy on me, and I swiftly and shatteringly came apart.

The touch of his tongue was soft at first, then the pressure grew, in time with my pleasure and I rushed toward it, desperate for release, while at the same time I wished to keep it at bay for as long as possible, so that I might savor the sensation, so that I might draw it out, but in the end I just couldn't escape him and I felt my nipples harden, painfully so, as my undoing rocketed its way through my body, concentrating its power in the core of my being, and radiating outward, in one strong pulse after another.

He continued to drive me onward, to savor me, until my throat was raw from screaming his name, at least, that's what I assumed that I was shouting, because that was the one word that was at the forefront of my thoughts at that moment, well, that and a stringing of words that were vaguely blasphemous, as well as declarations of my undying love.

Finally he released me from the rhythm of his tongue, and pressed a sweet, gentle kiss against me before he moved away from me and shimmied up the bed to take me in his arms. I gripped him tightly, pressing my face against his neck, while my breathing gradually calmed its pace, and my heart slowed in its frantic hammering, and I leisurely floated back down to earth, my eyes filled with tears born of the best sort of rapturous release, and smiled as I felt his hand caressing me, from my neck, down my spine, to cup my bottom, then back up all over again.

"I love you, Bane," I said softly, moving my face so that I could speak to him more directly. "I wonder, sometimes, if you know how fine you are, how beloved you are, to me."

I watched his throat move as he struggled to swallow, then he returned my smile, one that grew brighter and brighter, until it made his eyes literally glow at me in response. "I love you too, my Malayna. And if I am half as fine to you as you are to me, if I am half as beloved, then I am a very, very fortunate man."

We both lay there, wrapped up and glowing in one another, when suddenly I became aware of that masculine part of him that was still swollen with desire, and it dawned on me that I was being very selfish, taking all of the pleasure for myself, without offering him any in return. I knew that he didn't expect me to reciprocate what he'd given me, but suddenly I wanted to do so, I _needed_ to do so, and that was the thought that encouraged me to slide down on the bed, after giving him a parting kiss, and ponder that impressive and beautiful part of him, and, after a few moments spent smiling up at him, I took him firmly in hand.

He arched his body on the bed, and his hands tightly gripped hold of the covers, much as mine had just moments before, and I looked up just in time to see his lips move, to shape out a plea. "You do not have to do that, my sweet," he insisted, though his eyes begged me to stay right where I was, as I was. "I would never presume to….."

"'Do not have to' and 'presume' have nothing whatsoever to do with making love, Bane," I said, bending my head to softly kiss the apex of his flesh, smiling when I felt him undulate beneath me. "I want to know you in every way that I can, I want to give you pleasure in every way that I can, so please don't fight me on this, please just let me love you the way that I want to."

He nodded and closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling as he took one deep breath, followed by another. "Well, one thing is abundantly clear to me, my dear. I believe that you and I are in concord with one another. I will only ask one thing of you, Malayna."

"And what might that be?" I asked, bending my head to kiss him again.

"Promise that you will be gentle with me, please."

A/N: I know that this chapter was short, and that it was also overwhelmingly, and possibly even disgustingly fluffy and sweet in nature, but I hope that you will forgive me. I said as much as I wanted to, which wasn't what I normally would have produced, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer. I won't apologize for the fluff or the saccharine, because I am a helpless romantic, but I hope that I did not offend with one chapter of nothing but smut, right after a chapter of the same quality, and I will endeavor to have actual plot in the next installment, and all that follow in its wake. Thanks again to all of you who read and review, and to those who've added this story, and/or author, to your list(s) of favorites and/or follows…you are all wonderful and encourage me to continue on my quest to bring this story to life.


	15. Sin a Little to Spite the Devil

Chapter Fifteen

Sin a Little to Spite the Devil

Malayna's POV

I liked looking pretty for Bane. I'd never given much thought to the clothes that I wore, or to the state of my hair, or my make-up before, but all of that had changed since Bane came into my life. I had always had an appreciation for colorful, feminine things, but I'd never stopped to think about making myself pretty, because there'd been no one around to make an effort for, beyond that of looking neat and professional for my job. It was surprising to me, to find that I liked this new side of myself, and, even more amazing, and wonderful, was to have someone in my life who appreciated my efforts, one who never left me with any doubts about how fine I was to him.

Of course, truth be told, he cherished me with a bare face and messy hair just as much as he did when I was all dolled up, but I suspected that had a good deal to do with the fact that I was generally naked in those moments. I'd gone through the majority of my life with the belief that I would never fall in love, that I would never know what it meant to be precious to a man, or to make love to a man, yet here I was, and now I knew, and adored, each of these things. How odd it was, to find out, after all these years, that I'd been wrong, that I'd lied to myself, and who would have ever believed that I would be so happy to know that I'd been so mistaken?

He looked so handsome, dressed in the obligatory slacks and dress shirt with tie that Dr. Adelai insisted he wear for these meetings, but I knew that he hated the clothing, that he preferred his cargo pants, paired with a "wife beater" that hugged each and every contour of his muscled torso and a pair of lace up combat boots. Truth be told, he was just as irresistible to me when he was in the clothing that made him comfortable, even more so, now that I thought about it, but nothing could even come close in comparison to the way that he looked when he was wearing nothing at all…..

Dr. Adelai's weathered face in front of mine, with its unnaturally bright blue eyes and freakishly white teeth, scared me back into reality, and might have made me jump and scream in reaction, had it not been for Bane reaching over to lay his hand on top of mine. I realized that I had drifted off into my daydreams, when I was supposed to have been paying attention to the doctor instead, and judging by the look that was in his eyes, it was obvious that he was irritated by my lack of focus, truth be told, he looked downright furious.

"I'm terribly sorry to draw you from your ruminations, Miss Bishop, but I would appreciate you making an attempt, at the very least, to keep all of your attention centered on me during these meeting times. I need to know how you are progressing with Mr. Bane's treatment, and you need to know what it is that I expect of you. How are we to be successful in putting all of the tiny pieces of Mr. Bane back together, if one of the participants is too busy daydreaming to put forth one hundred percent of her concentration and skill to the task at hand?"

My mind scrambled back and forth between images of Bane, with his eyes burning intently, and his naked body lunging between my thighs, which were pictures that made my blood surge in my veins, and more routine images, the sort that dealt with his care, day in and day out. I would imagine that I made for quite a curious sight at that moment, as my cheeks reddened, then cooled, only to flush again, and I strove to control myself, no matter how impossible a task it seemed to be, lest I give a clue to this monster about the secret desires of my heart.

_I'm terribly sorry, Dr. Adelai_, I shaped, straightening in my chair and biting back a groan when the seat pressed against that part of me that had bloomed with my thoughts of my lover. _It was very rude of me to allow my mind to wander while you were speaking. I can assure you that I will not do so again, Doctor._

"Please bear in mind that I have chosen to trust you with a duty that is of the utmost importance," he said, straightening a little, and resting one of his gnarled hands with its baby-soft palm against my cheek. "There were others that I would have preferred to be in the place that you occupy, but Mr. Bane seems to have foolishly attached himself to you, and I couldn't risk his displeasure, were I to have terminated you immediately, which was my desire. Please do not continue with these habits and mannerisms that coax me to choke the life out of your body….."

His own words died in an instant as I watched Bane surge to his feet from the corner of my eye and wrap one of his hands around the Doctor's throat. In days past I might have been tempted to tell Bane to stop at once, I might have been unwilling to stand by and watch while another human being was harmed in any way, but my compassion for the life of another tended to go the way of the dodo when the person who was in mortal danger had just threatened my life. I suppose it wasn't very charitable of me, but I just couldn't help but feel a tiny flare of wicked glee course through my veins while I watched as the Doctor began to turn red beneath his unnaturally bronzed complexion.

"It is a fatally despicable, not to mention egregiously asinine course of action for a man to take, when he chooses to threaten the life of an innocent woman, especially when he elects to do so in front of one who would take any slight, no matter how minor, very personally. You will never repeat this mistake again, will you, Dr. Adelai?"

I suppose that the Doctor must have foolishly believed that enough time had passed by with Bane in his custody that the presence of his guards at each and every meeting was no longer necessary, but I was willing to wager that he was regretting that decision at that moment, while his prized patient slowly choked the life from his body.

"Release me at once," he demanded, clawing at Bane's hand with his own, to no avail. "I am the only one who can heal you. I am the only one who's willing to bring you back to your former glory. If you kill me, all hope for your future will be lost as well."

He was having a very hard time speaking, with Bane's hand wrapped tightly around his throat, but he forced out his words none the less. Unfortunately for him, it appeared that my beloved was past the point where he could be reasoned with, at least as far as the good doctor was concerned, and while it would have been satisfying to the side of myself that desired revenge, to see Dr. Adelai put in his place, once and for all, the larger, and better part of my being knew that I couldn't stand by and watch Bane kill the Doctor, no matter how much he deserved to die.

"I am certain that there are shades of truth in what you have said, Dr. Adelai, but at this moment I am past the point of caring about what happens to me. I can imagine that it would prove more satisfactory, to see you dead, then it would to be brought back to my 'former glory'….."

I didn't hesitate for another moment, I knew that the time to act was upon me, and I forced myself to rise from my chair. I crossed the small space that rested between me and the spot where Bane was killing the Doctor, and reached out to lay my hand against his arm, in a bid that he would ignore his need to choke the life from the man who'd kidnapped us.

"D-don't do this, my love," I said, careful to keep my voice calm and soothing, despite the fact that my heart was hammering in my chest. "He is a detestable, s-spineless bastard, b-but he isn't w-worth the time and effort that it w-would take for you to k-kill him. Those days are over with, aren't they, B-bane?"

I was remembering how he was in the past, while he rode roughshod over Gotham City. In those days he dispatched his victims effortlessly, and there was always a chance that he might do so again, and I never wanted to bear witness to that side of him emerging. There were those who would argue that this wasn't one of those circumstances, that this was a time when the one whose life hung in the balance actually deserved to die, and I was willing to agree, to a point, but I didn't want to see him in that mindset ever again, not unless it was a situation of life or death, that being ours, that required him to go to that place.

"D-don't do this," I pleaded, tightening the hold that I held on his arm for an instant, and then I switched to a touch that was gentle, one that ran in a soft caress up and down his arm. "I'm certain that he's received the message clearly, sweetie, there's n-no need for you to continue in this w-way."

At one time it would have been unbelievable; to ponder that the moment would come in my life when I would have been referring to _any_ man as my 'sweetie', but the fact that I was doing so to Bane should have been more astonishing than it was. I'd never been one for endearments, though there were several nurses that I'd worked with who bestowed them easily, without a second thought. For me it was a new practice, one that I was slowly becoming accustomed to, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I enjoyed lavishing him with sweet nothings, just as much as he seemed to relish receiving them.

"Have you heard, and comprehended the message that I wished to deliver, Dr. Adelai?" he asked, slowly relinquishing his hold on the older man's throat as he nodded, then releasing him altogether, to allow the Doctor to fall to his knees, sputtering and choking, while his face returned to its unnaturally tanned hue. "Or do you require a further demonstration?"

There was murderous fury in the Doctor's eyes, but there was also a healthy dose of fear as well, and he was wise enough to frantically shake his head as he struggled to his feet. "Your message was very clear, Mr. Bane. No further demonstration is necessary, I assure you."

"And….?" Bane prompted, cocking his head to one side and pondering the Doctor with eyes that were frighteningly cold and devoid of any and all emotion.

"And…I would like to apologize to you, Miss Bishop, for my comments, and I vow that I will never be so foolish as to repeat this mistake."

He seemed genuinely contrite, but there was still something in his eyes that hinted to me that he intended to hold a grudge, against both Bane and me, for the pain and indignity that he had suffered. _Very well, Doctor_, I shaped, having no desire to speak to him, despite the fact that I hadn't hesitated to vocalize my thoughts with Bane in front of him. _I think that it would be wise for us to leave now, so that we might all have some time to ourselves, wouldn't you agree_?

I would have thought that he'd jump at the chance to be free of us, so it came as quite a surprise when he shook his head at me, then turned his attention to Bane. "Our business is not completely finished just yet, Mr. Bane. I have something in my possession that I would like to show you before you leave. It's something from your past, a something that I am quite certain you will be happy to see once more, but I must insist, with all due respect, that Miss Bishop return to her quarters. You may show the item to her later, should you choose to do so, but I would like the unveiling to take place just between the two of us, if you please."

I was all set to argue with him, because it seemed like a setup to me, but when I started to move toward the Doctor, to offer a refusal, Bane reached out and took hold of my hand with his own and turned me to face him. "Return to your room and wait for me there, Malayna," he said, with a look on his face that suggested that it would be wise for me to obey him without question.

"B-but," I said in protest, having never been one to do what was wise, when it seemed to contradict what was necessary, which, in this case, was protecting Bane from Dr. Adelai. "Shouldn't I….?"

"You should do as I ask immediately," he interrupted, fixing a gaze that wasn't cold or devoid of emotion on me, but which also held no warmth or discernible sentiment. "I will only do so nicely this one time. Please do not persist in this fashion, and force me to ask in a way that could only be called unkindly."

I took a deep breath and watched him for a moment, then turned, without uttering another word, and left the room. I suppose that it was his business, if he wanted to put his life in danger. I just hoped that I wouldn't regret my reluctant acquiescence. I couldn't say with any certainty what his 'unkindly' request would have been like, but I could say that it would have been preferable to me if the alternative was to lose him.

Bane's POV

I slowly traced my fingertip over the thing which had once provided me with so much comfort. How was it possible that I had never taken notice of the animalistic appearance of the object that had provided the means necessary for me to dispel my pain? It was a menacing device, one that had surely inspired fear in all those who laid eyes upon it, but there were fond memories to be found in it as well, remembrances that brought an occasional smile to my face, along with the grimaces of pain and disgust, and the tears that filled my eyes.

He had given me this remnant of my past in an attempt to control me, to sway me; I knew that without a shadow of a doubt. There would be a price to be paid for humiliating him as I had, but this was not the day that he would enact his revenge. I would not have to worry about his retaliation for several days to come, because he was a being who loved to draw things out, to allow me to grow comfortable, and forgetful. That being said, it was surprising that he'd chosen to bestow the gift from my past upon me, but it was very wise as well.

I had a somewhat addictive personality, at the core of my being, well-hidden, but there nonetheless. The medication that I received for my pain had worked as well as it could, truth be told, it had been more than sufficient, when one contemplated the extent of the damage that had been done to my body, but that did not stop me from craving the succor that the mask had always provided me. It had not acted as a benevolent savior, in reality it had only ever merely kept my pain at bay, making it tolerable, but there was so much more to be found in its grasp, so much that I suddenly longed for.

It had hidden me from the world, at one time there had been no one who had looked upon my true face, save for Talia...it still hurt to think of her, to remember her, from the time she'd been a small child, struggling to survive in a hellish pit, through her growth to a teen, and finally to a woman who I had loved so desperately that I had been willing to destroy the world to please her. All of those memories were reserved in my mask, all of that pain, but there were also the fond memories of her touch, of her smiles, and I could not help but stroke my fingertips against the cold surface of my past, and remember the feel of her skin, so soft and so warm against my palm.

_But Talia never truly loved you_, my heart whispered to me. It was a voice that I had first begun to hear after Malayna had become so near and dear to me. It was a soft tone, one that calmed me and comforted me when I was in distress, or when the old urges threatened to blossom within me, and usually I welcomed it, but now it vexed me.

"What do you know?" I asked crossly, my voice growing low and harsh, yet melodic, as it had always been with the mask. "You were not with me then, so how can you presume to know anything about that time?"

_Malayna is the one who truly loves you_, it continued, as if I had not spoken at all. _She is worried about you; she is waiting for you, why aren't you going to her? Why are you allowing this venom to infect your mind? _

It was true that Malayna loved me, just as I loved her. I knew that she was waiting for me in her room, all that I had to do was rise and cross the floor, so that I could take her in my arms and soothe away the hurt feelings that I had to have caused by snapping at her. I knew better than to allow the poison of the mask to sway me, to take hold of me, but for some reason I took it in my hands, when I ought to have hidden it away. I waited just a moment, then took a deep breath and placed it on my head, closing it onto my face, and breathing in the odors that I thought I had forgotten and ceased to fight against the tears that insisted on coursing down my face.

I shakily rose to my feet and crossed to the mirror that rested beside my bureau and stepped back in surprise at the sight that greeted me. It was a feeling reminiscent of what one might feel when they laid eyes on an old friend after several years had passed since they had last met, while at the same time it was like seeing a stranger that was just a little frightening to you. I was always Bane, I was who I had been since birth, though parts of me had gone away, and traits that I had repressed, until that moment, and the memories returned to me slowly, infusing themselves in my mind…..

The sound of the door between my room and Malayna's opening startled me, and almost made me jump, but I recovered in time to see her eyes light upon the image of me that showed itself in my mirror. It was the face that had inspired so much fear in the citizens of Gotham, Malayna included, and it was obvious that her mind went back to the memories of those days, if only for a moment, if the trio of fear, anger and loathing on her face were any indication.

"Hello, my dear," I said softly, turning from the mirror to step toward her, endeavoring to not feel offended, or hurt, when she immediately stepped back, to replace the distance that I had closed between us. "This must come as a bit of a surprise for you, does it not?"

No response.

She could not read my lips when they were hidden behind my mask, could she? I ought to have taken it off, so that I could speak to her, but I was reluctant to remove it from my face. I had forgotten how oppressive it was, how sinister, how brutish, and I could only imagine what she must have been thinking at that moment. Was this a wakeup call for her? Was she remembering the man that I had been, and, if so, was she regretting having ever fallen in love with a monster like me?

_Don't you mean the monster that you were_? The voice murmured to me from my heart. _Because you aren't that man anymore, are you, Bane_?

Cursed voice, why could it not leave me be, if only for a moment? I took a deep breath, and continued toward my beloved, holding out my hand, in the hope that she would take it in her own, even though I knew, in my heart, where that vexatious voice resided, that she would not do so. It was a test of sorts, but it was also a form of punishment, because I knew that I had done something that was wrong, had I not?

"I know that Dr. Adelai d-didn't force you to place that abomination on your f-face," she said shakily, hesitating, for just a moment, before she stepped forward to take the hand that I had offered her. "I know that he couldn't make you d-do it, so why are y-you wearing that mask, Bane?"

She had not shunned me; she would not punish me, in spite of the fact that she was angry with me. She had passed my test, even though she had not immediately taken my hand, but why did she have to do so while questioning my actions? Who was she to presume to have the right to do so? Oh, now I remembered…she loved me, did she not? Though, if that were true, should she not love me, no matter what?

She continued to move toward me, and it pained me, to see the tears that had welled in her eyes. I had hurt her, I was continuing to do so, but she was still willing to touch me, and, even more, to encircle my waist with her arms and press her body tight against me, nuzzling her nose back and forth against my chest, in spite of the fact that she was angry with me.

"It doesn't m-matter, you know?" she whispered, kissing the spot that her nose had rubbed, an action that made my heart flip-flop back and forth in my chest. "I will always l-love you, Bane. I would prefer to kiss you on your mouth, but I won't be denied what I want either."

She slid her hand behind my head, resting her fingers on the mask and pulled me down, so that our faces were almost touching, and my breath froze, and my eyes fluttered closed as she pressed her lips to the mouthpiece of my mask…an action that proved to be thoroughly unsatisfactory for me. It was a little thrilling, to know that she would embrace my mask, even though she loathed it, so that she could be close to me, but it was not enough of her. I wanted more of her…I _needed_ more of her.

I reluctantly pulled away from her, allowing myself just enough room to rip the mask from my face and toss it across the room, and then I hungrily took possession of her mouth, bending her backward in my arms, hard enough that it ought to have hurt her, but, if it did, she did not complain. Our tongues met, they tasted one another, and performed a lusty dance all their own as I gripped her closer, tighter, pressing her softness against my hardened flesh, my moan joining with hers as I lifted her into my arms and crossed the floor, toward the door that led into her room.

The mask lay on the floor, forgotten, at least for the moment, and I had a good idea that it would be awhile before I returned to it. Maybe Dr. Adelai wasn't quite as clever and wise as he would believe himself to be, was he? Or perhaps I was smarter than he believed me to be. Either way his task had ultimately failed in the end, even if the victory was not completely mine.

Generally I was displeased with the notion of sharing any part of a triumph with another, but I could make an exception this time, because there was one part of my life that I would never have to share…and she was driving me to distraction by taking my ear lobe in her mouth and alternating between nibbling it and suckling it, until I was forced to cease my trek to her bed, swinging 'round to place her against the wall that lay on the other side of her door.

"I will not be denied either, my love," I panted, holding her beneath her bottom with one hand, while the other unfastened the buttons on her blouse. "Would you think that I was a brute, if I was to have you right here, against this wall….?"

She reached down and took hold of me through my pants, making me groan deep in my throat as I bared her breast and took hold of her nipple. "Just promise that you will be gentle with me, darling," she whimpered, arching against me. "And you can have me in any way that you want, anywhere that you want, at any time that you want."


	16. Woven in My Soul

Chapter Sixteen

Woven in My Soul

Bane's POV

One would think that I would have been accustomed to the news that I had a procedure in the near future, one which involved sharp instruments slicing their way into my body and trying, most often in vain, to right the wrongs that had been perpetrated against me throughout the years, but that was an inaccurate assumption, to say the very least. The truth of the matter was that I was terrified, and that feeling shamed me, and urged me to seek comfort in the confines of my mask.

In all honesty, the mask had been calling for me ever since I had removed it from my face, with the seductive beckoning of a siren's song, and my hands were shaking as I raised it into place, fastening its bounds about my head, filled with a sensation of one who was finally home. The only thing missing was the whoosh of medicinal vapors that I had depended upon for survival for so many years, but even that was a possibility. Dr. Adelai had promised me that there were those who could provide me with my medicine, but did I dare give in to the lure, after I had resisted it for so long?

I heard a soft, husky chuckle, one that was disturbingly familiar to me, and I lifted my eyes to meet the gaze of the one that I had loved for so many years, the one whom I still harbored a vestige of devotion for, in the deepest, most secret recesses of my heart. Her eyes were so similar to my own, at least, they were in hue, but there were desires in their depths, even now, in the spectral manifestation of the women that she had been, that had never resided in my own. I had simply mirrored her longings to please her, because that had been my only aspiration, the one thing that motivated me, throughout my life, to please Talia al Ghûl, and in the end I had failed.

_Do you truly consider the prevention of such a heinous act to be a failure, or are you simply reverting back to the mindset that made you her puppet, for the sake of that mask?_

Damnable conscience, it would not leave me be in my moments of temptation. I did not need its counsel, and I certainly had not solicited its opinion, but for some reason it seemed to feel honor bound to lead me on the straight and narrow path none the less. The worst part was that I knew that the answer to its query was already known, by both me and my soul, but I was too stubborn to admit it to either one of us.

"Leave me," I hissed, clenching my hands into fists and slamming them against the floor. "I did not bid you, I do not want you, and the only thing that I wish to know is how to make you leave as quickly as possible….."

I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, in my mind, my heart, and my soul that Talia was dead, but that did not stop me from experiencing a stab of regret when her eyes filled with pain. That was one of the pressing fears that I had wrestled with through most of my life, the idea that I might hurt Talia, and that sinking feeling of dread had followed me into my relationship with Malayna. As a matter of fact, it had grown when I had taken notice of her, and was one of the thoughts that consumed me, while I laid awake at night, endeavoring to sleep, that I might…..

"There are many ways in which a man is imprisoned, aren't there, my friend?" Talia whispered softly, bringing me out of my thoughts of Malayna, smiling when my attention was, once again, solely on her. "You don't have to be thrown into the depths of Peña Dura to feel restrained, do you? Grief is a prison, as is anger, and you have known plenty of that, haven't you?"

She was speaking to me in a calm, soothing and caring voice, which was how she had always spoken to me when she wished to sway me. "I know of many penitentiaries," I agreed, taking a deep, hissing breath. "I have experienced every one of them, firsthand, and I have no desire to go through any of that ever again."

Her smile faltered for just a moment, it hardened, and mirrored her growing temper, but then she seemed to remember her charming façade, and the warmth of her beam returned full force, though I could still see the anger that simmered beneath the radiance. I had grown wiser in my time away from her, I had begun to see life through a new set of eyes, and I was not quite as susceptible to her as I had once been, though I was not fully recovered from her influence either.

"And are you free now, Bane?" she asked quietly, gliding toward me, to stand over me, never beside me, as my equal, but always above me, unless she truly wished to sway me, in a way that would ensure that I would not even entertain the notion of disagreeing with her…not that I ever had. "Has the promise of a new, pain free life liberated you, my friend, or is it the smiles of a certain nurse which offer you a glimpse of a future that you now welcome with open arms, one which you would have rejected, when I knew you, that make you feel like you are finally unbound?"

I did not want to speak of Malayna to her, they were two separate issues, ones which should never meet, let alone mingle, but she had that look in her eyes, one that I was very familiar with, and I knew that she would not be moved from the topic. Perhaps what she said was true…alright, it _was_ true. I _was_ tempted by the offer of a life devoid of pain, after all, who would not be, were they in my shoes? And, yes, I _was_ drawn to Malayna, to her warmth and her capacity for kindness, to her beauty and her smiles, and yes, I _was _attracted to the notion of a life with her, no matter how futile the chance that such a thing could be mine might have been, no matter that I had never wanted something like that before, because what was the harm in hoping, and moreover, why would Talia care about what I felt and thought?

_She __**doesn't **__care, she never has,_ my conscience reminded me, throwing the same awful truths that it always had in my face, as though I had forgotten, and needed reminding. _Why do you insist on opening these old wounds? What good can come of miring yourself in these old heartaches? Must you continue to punish yourself? Can't you simply be happy….. _

"Tell me something about this nurse of yours," Talia said, interrupting my voice of morality. "Does she know who you truly are, my friend? Does she know of your life long ago, the one that began with you being known as the son of Edmund Dorrance….?"

"_**Never**_ speak that name in my presence," I growled, pounding my fists against the floor until my knuckles cracked and bled. It was better for me to do violence to the unfeeling, uncaring tile, so that I would not harm Talia…at least, that was what I thought to myself, for about ten seconds, until I remembered, once more, that she was dead, that she was never coming back. "And do not ask me any questions about Malayna either. That part of our lives is only for the two of us, it does not concern anyone else, and it certainly does not have anything to do with you."

She bent down, until her face hovered just inches from my own, her eyes filled with a fire that might have frightened me, had I not remembered that she could not hurt me anymore. "Everything in your life concerns me, Bane," she hissed quietly. "She doesn't love you as I do, she doesn't accept you, she doesn't understand you…you are simply a fascination for her, one which will grow old, and tedious, and then she will toss you aside, and it will be up to me to put the pieces of you back together again….."

I was sitting on the floor, in front of my bed, pressed so hard against the side that it hurt my back, and then the door that led into Malayna's room opened, and she appeared, and Talia vanished from my sight, leaving me furious, and emotionally drained. My knuckles were beginning to throb, joining with the pain in my back, and there had never been a sweeter sight in all of my life than the image of my beloved crossing the floor, to seat herself at my side, as my equal, the one who did love me, much more than Talia ever had, the one who would always stay with me, who would never leave me…at least, that was what I hoped, and there was never any harm in hoping, was there?

Malayna's POV

He was sitting on the floor, beside his bed, wearing that damnable mask and an expression in his eyes that was downright murderous. I could see that his knuckles were swollen and bloody, and that the floor bore a crimson stain, which meant that he'd been pounding his fists against it, but why? Surely this wasn't a response to the news that he'd received from Dr. Adelai about his upcoming procedure, was it?

One thing was perfectly clear to me, even if nothing else made any sense, and that was that he needed me, so I made myself ignore the mask on his face and crossed the floor, so that I might sit beside him, and my heart froze, and almost broke, when I saw the look in his eyes when he turned toward me. There'd been so much anger to be seen in his gaze when I first entered the room, but that was an emotion that was lost in the pain that I saw there now, in the need and the longing, and also, worst of all, was the fear that I could see, the one that conveyed to me that he was afraid that I would leave him.

I could see his throat moving, and knew that he was speaking to me, or, rather, I knew that he was _trying_ to speak to me, but his eyes took on a look of frustration, and I knew that he must have been stammering beneath his mask. That was one of the things that bothered me about his insistence where wearing the relic from his past was concerned, my inability to communicate verbally with him, but what he needed at that moment wasn't conversation. He needed to be soothed; he needed to be reassured that nothing had changed, that nothing _would_ change…he needed to be loved.

"Hush, my love," I murmured and boldly moved myself off of the floor, so that I was straddling his lap, one knee resting on each side of his hips. "You're so tense…let me help you relax."

I leaned forward and pressed my lips against the tiny spots of his cheek that were visible, kissing metal for the most part, until I parted my lips and ran the tip of my tongue over the exposed flesh. I tasted and teased him, and smiled happily when I felt his arms wrap their way around me, hugging me close, his hands trailing down to my bottom, to pull me flush against the proof of his arousal, an action that made me whimper in response.

I ran my hands up his chest and circled them 'round, to rest on his neck. It was weird, given my past fear of, and more recent reaction to, his mask, to find myself suddenly entranced by it, but I couldn't help but admire the way that it hugged his face and his head, and I especially appreciated the way that it emphasized each and every emotion that he had, as they showed in his eyes, and made them clearer, in a way that made me feel them, as if they were my own.

The need and longing that was in his eyes had grown, and the anger was almost diminished altogether, along with most of the pain and the fear, but I knew that he still needed reassurances, both physical and verbal. "Do you know how fine you are to me, Bane?" I asked, leaning forward and pressing my lips against the mouthpiece of his mask. "Do you know how much I love you? Do you know that I will always be here for you, that I will never leave you, that I will….?"

His hands abandoned their grip on my backside, and one fingertip hushed me, before it joined the others as they quickly went to work unfastening the buttons on my blouse. I guess that he did know all that I worked so hard to reassure him of, and that bit of knowledge heartened me. He made short work of the fastenings on my blouse and tossed it aside, along with my bra, and I thought that it was funny, in a strange way, that I was completely unconcerned about whether or not the garments would be dirty or wrinkled when I met later in the day with Dr. Adelai. Bane had a way about him that made me forget about things like that when he had his hands on me. As a matter of fact, I pretty much forgot everything in moments such as these, except for the immediate things that I could taste, hear, see, smell and touch…and all of those were wrapped up in him.

I pulled his shirt off, and drew in a breath of pure appreciation when he clasped me close in his arms, so that my flesh met, and was caressed against his, bringing what had already been tight and tingling in anticipation to a full state of responsiveness. He pulled me back for a moment, so that he could cup my breasts in his hands, and the calloused warmth of his palms against my nipples made me whimper, then cry out his name as they left me, so that he could push up my skirt and tear my panties off, adding them to the floor, where my blouse and bra were waiting.

He was almost desperate with his need to have me, and I knew how he felt, because my hunger for him was at a level where I was prepared to beg him to fill me, and I knew that I would come apart in his arms as soon as he did, but there was a part of me that wanted to heighten things for him, and that wicked little piece of who I was encouraged me to move myself off of his lap, shimmying down his legs, until I was at a place where I could unbutton and unzip his pants, where I could draw them, and his underwear down, and then I boldly took him in hand, and, after smiling up at him, drew him in and lavished attention on him in a way that was sure to please him immensely.

I felt him jump beneath me, then his hands flew to my head, and his fingers twined into my hair with enough force that it was almost painful to me, but I didn't stop. I was a novice at this sort of thing, but I would imagine that what I lacked in technique, I made up for in enthusiasm, because it was thrilling for me, to love him in this way. I felt my own arousal growing stronger and stronger, while I teased him, and learned this new facet of him, until finally his hands seized hold of me and pulled me up, onto his lap, and that part of him that filled me so slowly and gently, yet impatiently and swiftly, was an absolute possession that had me crying out his name in release, just as I'd known it would.

He held onto my bottom with one hand, and ripped off his mask with the other, so that I could watch his lips form the words that spoke of his love for me, that told me that he wanted me, that he needed me, and finally, gloriously, so that he could kiss me, his tongue moving in and out of my mouth in a perfect rhythm with the frantic surging of his body against mine, until I came apart in his arms once more, just moments after my first shattering climax, and he followed me closely after, laying to rest any doubts and all fears that we might have had, at least for a short while.

Bane's POV

It was fifteen after six, which meant that Malayna had returned from her meeting with Dr. Adelai at least two hours before, and would have spent the remainder of the time until six preparing our evening repast, but why had she not summoned me at six, as was our routine? I had spent the time that she was gone napping, catching up on some much needed sleep while my body happily recovered from our latest bout of lovemaking, but she had not been given the luxury of being lazy, which meant that she ought to have had the meal prepared on time, which meant that she ought to have woken me at six, and the fact that she had not done so worried me a little.

I entered her room and was taken aback to realize that she had not even begun to prepare dinner, and, even more, I was surprised to find that there was not a single light shining, save for the lamp that she kept on a table beside the chair that she favored when she read. It was in that paltry beam of light that my eyes found her, slumped down on the floor, with her white album cradled in her arms, while tears flowed down her cheeks. I swiftly made my way across the room, taking care so that I would not trip over anything, and knelt down onto the floor in front of her.

She did not look up at me, not even when I reached out to touch her hand, not until I placed my fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at me, and then she seemed to crumble completely, to collapse, both physically and emotionally, right before my eyes, leaving me feeling helpless and scared, neither of which were emotions that I cared for. I wondered what on earth could have happened to upset her so completely, to fill her with so much sorrow, and then, almost as though she had heard my thoughts, she explained herself to me.

"Th-this was the o-only way that I c-could cope, the only w-way that I could s-survive," she stammered in a voice that was choked with sobs as she drew my attention to the album on her lap.

The headline read, _**Man loses wife, sacrifices self, to save daughter**_. There was a picture of a river that rested at the base of a tall ravine, and beside it, a photo of a girl with long dark hair and big brown eyes, a child identified as Malayna Bishop, age twelve. This must have been the moment that she had lost her hearing, in this horrible accident, which had left her an orphan as well. It was no wonder that she seemed so lost at times, so quiet and filled with fear. It was amazing that she had recovered as well as she had, but what of her words about coping, about surviving? What had changed, to devastate her so completely?

"I am sorry, my love, but I do not understand….."

"It w-was all a l-lie!" she exploded, throwing the album, to crash against the wall and land on the floor in a tangled heap. "H-he didn't m-mean to s-save me, he meant t-to save himself…he n-never really loved either one of u-us…it was all a l-lie!"

A/N: There is a little phrase that Bane and Malayna use with one another "Do you know how fine you are to me?" I should have said so before, but this doesn't belong to me…or to Bane and Malayna either. I took it from the movie _Rob Roy_, from Robert Roy McGregor and his wife Mary, who were portrayed by Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange. I also wanted to say that I will include a list at the end of this story, detailing where the inspiration for each chapter title came from.


	17. Knight from an Old-fashioned Book

Chapter Seventeen

Knight from an Old-fashioned Book

Bane's POV

I ought to have seated myself in the spot that Dr. Adelai had set aside for me the moment I entered the Throne Room, I ought to have remained still and waited, patiently, for the doctor to enter, but I was just a little short on forbearance at that moment. Malayna was upset, she was nearly inconsolable, and I had found that I tended to be short on serenity and tolerance when she was in pain of any kind. It had to have been surprising to Dr. Adelai, to be summoned by me in the middle of the night, as if _I_ was the one who was in charge, and not him, but I was past the point of caring about something as insignificant as decorum.

I found myself pacing in front of the window that the doctor had bid Malayna to gaze out of during our first meeting. All of the fear and trepidation that I had perceived in her that day made sense to me now. Who would not have felt fear, had they survived what my beloved had, when faced with the twin phobias of height and water?

I bore my own scars, and not just those that were visible to the eye. I would imagine that all survivors were marked in some way, how could they have lived to tell the tale, or, rather, to hide their secrets, had they remained unscathed? Circumstances such as those that I had lived through, and that Malayna had overcome, did not release you without marking you in some way, it was impossible to escape whole and untouched, but what had she ever done to the good doctor, to inspire him to open her wounds so viciously, when she had worked so hard to mend them?

At first glance, on the outside, where everything was normal, Malayna would undoubtedly be viewed as a beautiful and happy woman, and that estimation was an accurate one, most of the time, but there was a sadness that resided deep inside of her, a sorrow that wound its way through the secreted recesses of her heart and soul. She had hidden them so well that she had managed to conceal them from me, and I could not help but feel a small flaring of my temper when faced with the proof that she had not trusted me enough to share all of herself with me.

_As you have with her?_ My damnable conscience murmured, reminding me of my own failings where honesty with the one that you loved was concerned. _What then of Peña Dura? Why not tell her of Edmund Dorrance and Osito? Why do you hide these things within yourself, when you know that Talia could return and use them against you? Wouldn't it be easier to entrust this knowledge to Malayna, so that it could never be turned and twisted in ways that would harm you?_

I raised my hands to my head and placed them against the side of my mask, drawing them tightly into fists, which I banged against the unforgiving veneer, again and again, until my skin and joints began to ache…until my conscience finally consented to silence itself. Malayna did not need to know the details of my past, she certainly did not need to be bothered by them right now, and, quite possibly, the time would never arrive when I would have to tell her every last sordid detail. I was not concerned about Talia, because she could not hurt Malayna; she could not even hurt me anymore…at least that was what I told myself.

The door to the Throne Room opened and Dr. Adelai entered alone, just as I had requested. I would have thought by now that he would have learned that it was essential for him to bring along a guard or two when he and I were to meet with one another, yet he continued in the arrogant belief that I would not harm him, even though I had proven him wrong in the past.

Perhaps this was his way of building trust with me, though, if that were the case, I would advise him to save his time and efforts for those with weaker minds, because I, for one, would never trust him, no matter what he said to me, or what he did to me. I intended to use him just as much, possibly even more, than he planned to use me, and that was the extent of our relationship with one another, that was all that it would ever be, and the sooner that he accepted that fact the better off we would all be.

"Where are you hiding, Mr. Bane?" he asked, his voice noticeably anxious as he searched the room for me, his eyesight undoubtedly hindered by the shadows that I called my friends. "I am not all that fond of games, you see, but your message was so cryptic, so unlike you, that it piqued my curiosity and I had to follow your every command. You have the upper hand on me, so why the continuing mystery, Mr. Bane? Why don't you just tell me what it is that you want?"

He prided himself on his abilities where stealth and subterfuge were concerned, yet he never heard my approach, nor did he feel it. The shadows embraced me as one of their own, just as they always had, and I moved soundlessly across the floor, glided, you might say, not stopping until I was standing right behind him, ready to pounce at any moment, to strike and disable him in the blink of an eye, then disappear into the darkness before he even knew what had hit him.

"I am not hiding, Doctor," I murmured, my voice altered by the mask, the one that hid my face as I grinned, which was an automatic reaction to the sight of Dr. Adelai jumping in the air and the sound of him choking back a cry of surprise. "Nor am I fond of games, either, which is why I summoned you here with my 'cryptic' uncharacteristic message, so that you might be wise enough to follow each and every directive, so that I might retain the upper hand, so that you can explain to me what madness possessed you this afternoon, and inspired you to be so cruel to Miss Bishop."

I knew that he could hear the cold fury that colored each and every one of my words. I was not making any effort whatsoever to hide my emotions from him, because this was one time that I wanted him to know that my motives were driven by sentiment. I wanted him to know that his actions were the worst sort of ruthlessness, the sort that had caused so much pain to the one that I loved, and I would demand that he pay restitution to her, he would know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had sinned grievously against her, and, in turn, against me as well. He would feel the full weight of his acts, and in turn he would feel each and every blow of the consequences of what he had done.

He whirled around and searched, in vain, for a glimpse of me in the paltry illumination provided by the recessed lightning near the windows. I would turn the lights on fully once we had commenced with his moment of atonement, but for the time being I wanted to keep him in the dark. I sensed that he had a touch of nyctophobia, enough to make him nervous and scared, even if only the tiniest bit, and I would use it against him, to bend him, to mold him, and, before I was through, to break him.

"It sounds as though you've decided to return your mask to its rightful place," he said cheerfully, as if that fact was one that made his current predicament almost bearable. "I feared that you would fight me on that request, and it pleases me to know that you decided, on your own, to return to that part of your past….."

"I have not returned to anything," I said harshly, reaching for his throat, but thankfully I managed to stop myself before I did something that I would regret. "I do not wear it all of the time, but that does not matter, Doctor. I am not here to speak with you about this mask, nor about my treatment….."

"Then what is it that you wish to speak to me about, Mr. Bane?" he interrupted, placing his hands behind his back, his movements back and forth, from his heels to the balls of his feet, barely showing in the overall dimness of the room. "I have gathered, from the harshness of your tone, that there is something that has angered you, something which you hold me responsible for, though I can't, for the life of me, imagine what I might have done to make you so furious. Would you care to enlighten me before you harm me, possibly even kill me, so that I might know of the crime for which I stand accused, so that I might offer a defense of some sort….?"

"It was not necessary to wound her so grievously," I whispered, picturing Malayna sitting on the floor, sobbing as if her world had just come to an end, which, I suppose, it had, in a way. "I am not surprised that you would choose to use my feelings for Miss Bishop against me, to sway me, but did you really have to destroy that which was so important to her?"

He was quiet for a moment, and his silence infuriated me even further, to the extent that a fine red mist started to form in my line of sight, and I lost all of my ability to focus, to channel my anger. I was not concentrating on staying calm, I was not seeking inner strength, I simply reached out with my hand, grabbing his throat and tightening my fingers, until I was choking him as I lifted him into the air.

"Answer me, damn you!" I growled, shaking him back and forth, in the manner of a rag doll. "I want to know why you did this; I want to know the reasoning behind your motives, Dr. Adelai. What thought, what desire, could have possibly encouraged you to behave so cruelly, and so foolishly?"

His hands rose to his throat, to paw at the back of my hand, while he wheezed and choked. "For God's sake, let me down," he gasped, feebly pounding his fist against the hold that I had on him. "I didn't do it, whatever it was; I am not the guilty party."

I contemplated tightening my grip further, to punish him for lying to me, and then it dawned on me that he might not have been lying at all. It was probably a waste of my time, a way for him to stall, so that I would not kill him, but this time it was my curiosity that had been piqued, and I slowly released him, my lips curving into another smile as he dropped down to the floor, twisting this way and that while he struggled to breathe.

"Explain something to me," I demanded, once I deemed that he had been given ample time to catch his breath. "Why would Malayna return from her meeting with you this afternoon, devastated by your actions, if you had not been the one to crush her so thoroughly?"

He looked at me for a moment, as if my words had bewildered him, then he scrambled backward on the floor as I moved toward him, having grown furiously weary of his behavior. "Wait, please, wait!" he croaked, slowly rising from the floor, so that he could face me on more on an equal ground. "I was called away on business this afternoon, and left a file for Miss Bishop on that table there in front of your chairs….."

"And this file that you left for her, it contained information about her family. Is that right, Dr. Adelai?"

Again he looked confused, and if it was playacting on his part then truly he had chosen the wrong trade for himself, because it was obvious that he did not have a clue as to what I was referring to. "No, a file regarding your treatment on the days leading up to your procedure," he said. "Why on earth would I have left a file on her family, Mr. Bane, when I am not in possession of one?"

Malayna's POV

I wasn't certain where Bane had gone. All that I knew for sure was that he'd been furious when he left. I also knew that he hadn't eaten, and he hadn't had his medication either, which meant that he was hungry and in pain, and that all added up to the fact that I needed to drag myself up, onto my feet, and figure out something to feed both of us. The world wasn't going to stop turning, just because everything that I believed had been shown to be a lie, and I knew that I could only cry for so long, because all of the tears in the world weren't going to be enough to right what was wrong, and the sooner that I accepted that, the better off I would be.

I wasn't the least bit hungry, as a matter of fact the thought of eating made me nauseous, but I knew that Bane would insist on me sitting down with him and partaking of whatever I managed to throw together. He had a way about him at times, which ensured that things went the way that he wanted them to go, and I had a pretty good idea that this would be one of those times. I suppose I ought to have been grateful to him for that, I ought to have been thankful that there was someone around who cared enough to push me forward, when all that I really wanted to do was stop, so that I could sink to the ground and cry until there were no more tears left in my body, and then I could just die…..

_That is enough of that sort of talk_; Granny's voice rang heatedly in my ears. It had been a rare occasion that she'd been cross with me while she was still alive, and scarcer still since she'd been gone, but there was no denying the definite note of anger that I could hear in her voice at that moment, and I might have dared to smile, had I not been so sad. _Who is this woman who's taken the place of my granddaughter? I know that you can't be my Malayna, because my Malayna is an intelligent woman, and she would never have dared to believe that her Daddy was capable of such a thing. She would continue to know the truth in her heart and her soul, and she wouldn't have listened to anything else….._

"There was a file filled with newspaper and magazine articles, Granny….."

_You have a whole album filled with articles as well, sweetheart, and you have the police reports too. Are you honestly going to tell me that those were all lies? I know that you know better than that, Malayna. Think about it; really think about what you know, and what someone is trying to tell you….._

My white album was filled with memories of my family, the first part dedicated to the remembrances that were happy, of birthdays and Christmases, of our vacation, before it had turned into a nightmare. The second half held every scrap of information that I had gathered throughout the years, so that I would never forget one horrific detail, so that I would have a daily reminder of how fortunate I was, and also, of how cursed I was, but up until this day I'd never needed it to remember what had happened, for the most part. Every terrible moment had been burned into my consciousness, save for a few minutes which remained cloudy, and I could remember it as if it was yesterday…or, at least, I thought that I could, but that didn't make any sense, given what I'd seen today.

I was on the verge of crying all over again when I saw the door open, from the corner of my eye, and turned to see Bane making his way into the room. Some of the fury that had filled him earlier seemed to have left him, but I foolishly held my breath anyway as he moved toward me. I don't know why I did that. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would never hit me, or take his anger out on me in a physical manner, but I just couldn't stop myself from thinking in that mindset, no matter how fleetingly, when I knew that he was, or, that he had been furious about something.

I could only imagine how I looked at that moment, with my eyes and nose red and puffy from crying, and my hair, which I'd raked my fingers through time and again, undoubtedly resembling a rat's nest, but when he stopped a short distance away from me and stared at me, his chest rapidly rising and falling, and his eyes flashing with something that wasn't anger over the top of his mask, I knew that I looked presentable to him, more than presentable, as a matter of fact, unless he was in the habit of lusting after unkempt, emotionally disheveled women.

He moved his hands to his face and removed his mask, all but tearing it away and throwing it aside, and then he crossed the floor to stand in front of me, reaching out to take me in his arms and hold me, tight against his chest, before drawing me away so that he could kiss me, his lips meeting, and holding mine very gently, searchingly, almost as though he'd never kissed me before that moment.

"There are a variety of prisons to be found in this life that we lead, Malayna," he said, moving away from me, to look deeply into my eyes as he gathered me up into his arms and moved toward the bath that was in his room. "Some are meant as an unending pit of misery, and are given names which mean "suffers hard", because that is what you can expect as an inmate. Then there are others that have no walls that can be seen, but they hold you captive none the less. They kill your spirit, and drain away all of your hope and your joy, until there is nothing that remains beyond despair and sorrow. These self-made penitentiaries scar you and beat you down, just as if they were living, breathing creatures, but we are the ones who enable them to do so, my love. We are the ones who hand them the chains with which to bind us, we are the ones who give them the keys to our mind, to our heart, and our soul, and tell them to hold us down as long as they wish. That is what you are doing to yourself right now, my dear, that is what you have been doing, in one degree or another, since you lost your family, and I want to know why you insist on hurting yourself so badly."

I'd never considered my life from that point of view, but at that moment, watching through a sheen of tears as he turned his face from me and concentrated on filling the tub, I realized that all that he'd said was true, and I was ashamed of myself, for allowing this to happen, for standing back and building up the walls around myself, those which were beginning to crumble and leave me horribly vulnerable to the truth…if I could only know what the truth was, that is.

"I am not going to rush you tonight, not after the day that you have had, but I am going to make you remember that day, Malayna," he said, turning back toward me once he'd turned off the water, to set me down onto the floor and remove my clothing, his eyes flaring as I was slowly revealed, inch by inch, to him. "That is the only way that you will heal, my love, because you hold the key to the truth inside you, you know, you have always known what happened that day, and we will bring it out into the light, no matter how long it takes….."

"What about t-the truth that I know you have h-hidden from me, Bane?" I whispered, sucking in a ragged breath through teeth that tightly clenched as he removed my panties and slid one of his hands between my thighs. "Will we bring that forth 'into t-the light' as well, or is that still off-limits to me?"

He stared down at me for a moment, holding me captive with the desire that I could see smoldering within his gaze, and then he moved his hand, and a fingertip found, and explored me, gently at first, then increasingly insistent in its pursuits and everything around me went hazy and ceased to matter. He bent his head and found my nipple with his mouth, and the room grew dim all around me, and I saw his lips move through eyelids that grew increasingly heavy.

"For now it is, my dear," I thought I saw him say, though I could very well have been mistaken. "But I believe that is all that I will keep to myself for the time being, if that is satisfactory to you."


	18. My Own Hands Imprison Me

Chapter Eighteen

My Own Hands Imprison Me

Malayna's POV

The vast lake, which was so intimidating in the view that was provided from that window high in the Throne Room, was surprisingly calm and relaxing to my senses. In my mind I could imagine the quiet splash of the water as it lapped against the shoreline, and it provided a tranquil soundtrack, drawn from my memory, for the heat that was building within me as Bane laid me on a downy blanket beside its ebbing and flowing frame and slowly, and gently, took me into his arms.

I'd been hesitant to venture out of doors, despite the fact that it had been so long since I'd been given the chance to go outside and even though I'd known that our actions would be counted as those which were forbidden and defiant by Dr. Adelai. In some ways I'd felt like a prisoner taking those first tentative steps in the sunlight, after years had passed by in the darkness, but I'd quickly became accustomed to the feel of freedom, and of rebelliousness, and had found myself smiling, then laughing more than I had in some time, though the mood had quickly turned from that which was happy to that which was sensual in a heartbeat, after Bane had spread the blanket on the ground.

We'd made love lots of times, but this was the first occasion that we'd taken the time to engage in an hour or so of the activity that old folks would call "necking", what my generation referred to as "making out" and what the kiddos would call…er…well, I have no idea what word and/or terms they used to describe the time spent reveling in the embrace of that special someone, in the kissing that starts soft and searching, then moves to that which is heated and hungry, and sets you on fire.

Then, once your body has gown warm and pliant, you advance to removing clothing, and laying your hands, your fingers, on one spot, then another, that will heighten arousal, followed by lips and tongue, until you're both gasping and moaning, until you're swollen with need, and then you know that it's time to move on from the act of foreplay, to the deed of loving one another as physically as possible.

I watched his head as he kissed his way down my throat, and stared wide-eyed, holding my breath in anticipation, as his mouth reached the peak of my breast, which was already hardened and straining toward his embrace, and leisurely, achingly drew it into his mouth and laved it with his tongue, drawing it between his lips, so that he could suckle upon it, then he bit it with his teeth, not hard enough that it hurt, but not gently either, a combination of rough and tender that made me whimper and draw him close by twining one arm around his back and one leg around his bared backside, my whimper growing to a cry when I felt his hardness bump against the sensitive, throbbing, and saturated heart of my femininity.

"Yes, Bane, oh, God, _yes_," I panted, reaching down to grasp his head, to lead his mouth to my other nipple, so that it could partake of the same pleasures that its twin had enjoyed. I always felt myself moaning and whimpering when we made love, I formed words in my mind, and softly vocalized them, but this was the first time that I felt as though there was no need to restrain myself in any way. We were a good ways away from the facility, and it was possible that there might be someone who could see us, if they were to look, but it was unlikely that there would be anyone who could hear us.

It was odd, I suppose, that I was unconcerned with the notion that there might have been someone watching us as we made love, but the truth of the matter was that I was completely consumed by the here and now, and I couldn't be bothered with something as insignificant as a potential Peeping Tom. Besides which, it was unlikely that we'd been missed just yet, which meant that it wasn't probable that anyone was watching us anyway, and even if they were to peek, they'd mostly see Bane's bare back and butt, which wasn't bound to entice them in any way…unless it was that slut Bianca who was spying on us, that is.

"Please, baby, please, now," I whimpered, drawing my leg tighter across his wonderfully naked backside, the one that I was so fond of pinching each and every time the opportunity was presented to me, just so that I could see him smile, the one that I had a tendency to grab while he was moving inside of me, using my hold to bring him closer, to embrace him tightly, and encourage him to slide into the flesh that was crying out for him in a voice that grew more and more desperate with each moment that passed by. "I need you Bane, I need you right _now_."

He raised his head from my breasts and smiled at me, his eyes darkening to a shade of green that was almost black as he slowly made his entrance, a grin that disappeared when he drew his full bottom lip between his teeth as my warmth and softness enveloped him in its confines. He closed his eyes as he buried himself, inch by inch, and then opened them, so that they could capture me with their burning intensity, as I pulsed around him, and came apart beneath him, just from the feel of him nestled within me.

"I love you, Malayna," he said, waiting until I'd ceased to shake and cry out his name before he started moving, a measured, deliberate rhythm intended to kindle the fire slowly, to build it bit by bit, to tease and torment, until I was clutching at him with my hands and arching myself against him, again and again, until his movements quickened, and the tinder that were always smoldering between us caught fire and quickly consumed us both.

The second wave took hold of me in its pulsing grip, and I'd just recovered enough of my senses to witness his moment when it arrived, which was a rarity for me. Usually I was too caught up in the power of my orgasm to pay attention to the look that came over his face, and it was heartening to see the way that he was gazing at me, with so much love in his eyes, with such a deep sense of possession and devotion, all brightened by the ferocity of his release. He stared down into my eyes the entire time, and in my peripheral vision I watched his mouth move and felt his chest rumble as he cried out, and I wished, not for the first time, that I could hear what it was that he'd said in that moment, when he allowed himself to be completely open and vulnerable with me.

I was so caught up in watching him, and enjoying the proof of the effect that I had on him, that my third climax caught me completely off-guard, and my scream of release hurt my throat, and, undoubtedly, caused a good amount of pain to rocket its way through his ear as well, considering that my mouth was resting right beside it. I was used to coming apart twice, that was nothing new, but three times was something that I'd never experienced before, and it dawned on me that I could easily become accustomed to that sort of thing, but I could become spoiled very quickly as well…still, it would be worth it, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt his lips touch my cheek, to kiss away the tears as they made a path toward my neck, and for one moment I worried that he might mistake them for a sign of pain that he'd caused me, but then I realized that I was smiling, so much that it was making my cheeks hurt, and I knew that he was smart enough to realize that mine were tears of joy, not of discomfort.

* * *

"There now, my sweet," he said, once some time had passed, bending his head to press his lips against mine. "I am curious about something, love, and I hope that you will enlighten me."

My mind was mush by that point, I felt like I was floating, and I couldn't have wiped the undoubtedly dopey smile off of my face even if my life had depended on me doing so, but I would endeavor to help him as much as I could. "W-what is it?" I asked, wincing at the stinging that I felt in my throat.

"Was your reaction to me this afternoon due to the fact that I have unwittingly improved upon my performance in some way, or was it the fact that we are out in the open, with the threat of discovery lingering in the background, that made you so sensitive to me, my dear?"

Hmm…I wouldn't have thought that I could lose my smile, but it slid off of my face and transformed itself into a frown in a heartbeat, while my eyes narrowed at him and my hands, which had been resting on his shoulder blades, quickly found his backside, which I pinched, and not in the sweet, appreciative manner that I normally used either.

"Ah, my delectable little lady, who would have ever believed that beneath all of your innocence and blushes there rested the heart of an exhibitionist? And here I was hoping that it was superior skill on my part that inspired the wanton minx within you…please say that it was, at least a little bit, hmm?"

There was a small bit of meanness inside of me that wanted to tell him no, just to wipe the grin off of his face, but I wasn't a cruel person, and I couldn't bear the idea of hurting him, just because he'd teased me. "I'm a private person, as y-you very well know," I said, gently rubbing my fingertips over the flesh that I'd pinched, to soothe him, even though he hadn't complained. "And your prowess today was just as superior as it's always b-been, my love. I don't know why I reacted as I did, but it wasn't a bad thing, was it?"

"Of course not….."

"Then let's not bother ourselves with the reason why, let's just enjoy it instead, okay?"

He smiled at me, and nodded, then rolled over onto his back, carrying me with him, so that we could hold tightly to one another while the clouds around us started to take on the slightest hint of pink as the sun started lowering itself toward the horizon. It was amazing to me that I would be so content resting right beside a lake, but I was completely at ease. There was a saying about using sex as therapy, and it seemed to me that it could prove very beneficial for me, not to mention very enjoyable as well.

I wondered how Bane would respond to the suggestion that we make love on the top of Dr. Adelai's facility, just to see if sexual healing would prove as helpful in taking the first tentative steps toward conquering my fear of heights? I could always hope, couldn't I?

Bane's POV

Dr. Adelai was not usually one who engaged in the art of cloak and dagger, so it was surprising to me that he had sent me a message asking me to meet him in the Throne Room at midnight, but I suppose I had myself to thank for his newfound interest in clandestine meetings, given my own actions of a week ago. I just hoped that Malayna would not awaken and find me gone. She would be certain to ask questions, if she was to wake up, and I was not comfortable with telling her falsehoods, but I was even more ill at ease with the idea of explaining my actions to her, and revealing the fact that I was giving in to what Dr. Adelai wanted from me, even if only a little.

It was new to me, this notion of acting as the center of the universe for anyone, of having my adoration felt, and returned equally. I had become so accustomed to being the one who worshipped and sacrificed, and I had to admit that it was nice, it was wonderful, actually, to know that though Malayna did not worship me, per se, she did love me, and her feelings were ones which did not come with conditions, and that she would never abandon me, that she would never hurt me, no matter what…..

"A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Bane?" a familiar voice spoke beside me, bringing me out of my musings with a start that I barely managed to conceal. "Though, I must say, that perhaps a penny is too paltry an amount for the ruminations that I can see have taken hold of your mind. As a matter of fact, I'm of the opinion that I'll need a twenty dollar bill, at the very least, am I right?"

He was smiling at me in a way that he undoubtedly intended to be friendly, but the sight of his beam made an unpleasant niggle of revulsion trace itself along my spine. I had a vague recollection of a term, a crocodile smile, I believe it was, and that summed up the curving of Dr. Adelai's lips to a tee. He had to be angry with me, for the times past in which I had threatened bodily harm upon him, and even more so for the moments in which I had actually laid my hands on him in an aggressive and painful manner, and I had to wonder when he would strike, and whether or not my senses would give me the warning that I would need to protect myself.

"Surely you did not summon me in the middle of the night to examine my innermost thoughts and secrets," I said, keeping my voice light, though it was not an easy task. "I had the impression that there was something important that you wished to speak to me about. Was I mistaken in that belief, Dr. Adelai?"

He tried to establish a look on his face that said that I had injured his feelings, but his effort was a futile one. He had already known that I was not there to trade amusing anecdotes with him, and the truth of the matter, I would imagine, was that he would have been displeased if I would have tried. There was obviously a part of him which encouraged him to convince me to trust him, though not as a friend, but instead as one who would act as a caregiver and, in some ways, as a creator, so that I would be loyal to him…it was the same scenario that I had survived once, and there was no way that I would ever allow that to happen to me again, especially not for a stunted, twisted little worm like him.

"You are a man of action, Mr. Bane, not of feeling. I ought to have remembered that, I suppose. The reason that I summoned you tonight was so that I might give you the folder that should have gone to Miss Bishop a week ago. I have tried, numerous times, mind you, to give it to her myself, but she wouldn't take it from me. I know that she will accept it from you, and it is information that is essential for her to study, and to learn, so that she will be prepared when the moment for your procedure arrives."

"I will make sure that she receives and reviews it," I assured him, tucking the folder beneath my arm. "But that is not why you have summoned me here tonight, Dr. Adelai, and the sooner that you decide to be honest with me, the sooner that I can return to my bed and get a good night's sleep."

He smiled at me again and there was something in his eyes that might have been admiration, but I refused to allow myself to acknowledge it. I did not need, nor did I want, his approval. I wanted to be free from him and from this place and the obligations that it was determined to place upon me, but I also wanted to be free of the pain that had racked my body for so long that I could not even remember what it had felt like to be without it. I wanted a path available to me that would enable me to live a long life with my beloved, and that was something that simply would not exist without the aid of the good doctor.

How ironic, that I, the one who had once served as a necessary evil, now had to concede that title to someone who was so vile and abhorrent to me. There were some who would call that karma, I suppose…I settled for viewing it as the cruelty of fate, which had never been all that kind to me. The time had come, it would seem, for me to pay the piper, to atone for my sins, but what had I ever done to deserve the knowledge that I would inevitably drag Malayna down with me as well?

"I have another file that I would like you to review, Mr. Bane, with a mind which you promise will remain open. I know that some of the contents of this folder will anger you, there are some which will possibly even disgust you, but you must give me your word that you will consider and contemplate them none the less. The time for action is creeping closer every day, Mr. Bane, and I need to know that you will be onboard with our…er…that is, with _my_ plan before I can proceed….."

I could not say for certain what it was that he saw in my eyes that made him pause, but his words died away as I stared down at him, and it was something that made him flinch when I reached out toward him, my hand hovering between us for a moment or two, before I plucked the file out of his hand and tucked it beneath my arm with the other. I had not missed his slip, and I was not certain what I ought to think of it, but I wanted to do my musings in the privacy of my quarters, nestled in the bed that I now thought of as _ours_ as opposed to _hers_. I would not have to hide what I felt and thought there…and there was something to be said for holding a beautiful, naked woman close in your arms when you needed to think, and even more if you did not _want_ to think.

His gaze moved to, and concentrated on my face, or, more specifically, on the mask that covered my face. It was a sight that seemed to please him; at least it was, until his eyes moved to my hair. "You really ought to consider shaving your head again, Mr. Bane," he suggested, tittering nervously when I narrowed my eyes at him and allowed a growl of warning to whisper through the metal mouthpiece of the old me. "I don't mean to pry, or to interfere, but the mask would fit better, it would be much more comfortable, if you would wear it as it was made to be worn."

I did not speak another word, nor utter another sound. I simply turned and left the room instead, waiting until the door had shut behind me to raise my hand to the mask, which was tight and uncomfortable, just as he'd suggested it was. I could easily imagine the change that I would feel, if I was to do as he had suggested, after all, I had worn the cursed thing for several years and knew it well, but the truth of the matter was that I did not want it to be comfortable on me. I wanted it to cause me pain; I wanted it to wear on me and to chafe me, because that was exactly what I deserved. There was also a part of me, a small, well buried place, which hoped to distance myself from the influence of the mask as much as possible, a secret spot, which hoped to save me from returning to the man that I had been.

She was awake when I returned, just as I had feared she would not be, but she did not question me. She simply opened her arms to me, so that I might cuddle close to her, and I did, sighing deeply, taking a deep, shuddering breath as I pulled her toward me, so that I might lose myself in the warmth and safety of her embrace. She was the key to my hope for a new life, in some ways she was my salvation, and it shook me to the core of my being, to know I would never have to scrape and bow to her; I would never have to beg. She would save me, without question, for no other reason than the fact that she loved me…I just hoped that I never gave her reason to regret that decision.


	19. Evil Sleeps in All Men

Chapter Nineteen

Evil Sleeps in All Men

Bane's POV

Three days had passed by since I had been given the folder that contained the master plan of Dr. Adelai and his organization, and sitting in the Throne Room, across from the good doctor, and a newcomer, who was simply known as X, I realized that it was not Dr. Adelai who was running things, as a matter of fact, he reminded me of a dog that has been repeatedly kicked whenever X turned his head in his direction, he would cower and wince and almost whimper, and I knew that this stranger was the true boss, the one who was pulling the strings and making all the choices, and I suppose that I ought to have feared him as well, but that was not the feeling that took hold of me, it could not take hold of me, because I was filled to capacity with a burning rage that threatened to consume me.

"Have I insulted you, Mr. Dorrance?" he asked softly, smiling as he pulled a cigarette case from his suit pocket. "Surely you must understand that Miss Bishop is a liability to you, and to the successfulness of our mission, how could you _not _see that? Her mind is much too fragile to endure what will happen as our plan is launched, she cannot be trusted not to break, she's certain to crumble beneath the pressure, and then where we will be, how will we triumph, if you're too busy mourning her to proceed with your work, hmm?"

The smell of his tobacco of choice was delicate; almost soothing in aroma as it filled the air around me, but it did little to calm my racing pulse and raging temper. It was not easy to fight against the urge to rise from my seat and wrap my hand around his throat, to take his cigarette and press it against his mocking tongue, but somehow I managed. I stayed right where I was and took deep, measured breaths through my mask, and reminded myself that this was not the place for retribution, nor was now the time to unleash my fury. There would be an opportunity later, when the hour and the location would be perfect, and I just had to be patient, no matter how much it infuriated me to do so.

"Do not call me by that name," I said, pleased with the tenor of my voice, and the fact that it did not betray my rising anger, though I was not certain whether or not I had been as successful with my eyes. "You may address me as Bane, should you wish to refer to me by name, but I am _not_ "Mr. Dorrance", so kindly refrain from….."

"'Baby Boy Dorrance, son of Edmund "King Snake" Dorrance, incarcerated at birth in Peña Dura," X said, as if from memory. "Unidentified mother died shortly after child was born, father's whereabouts unknown. The child was slated to serve a life sentence for his father, and would only be released when, or, rather, _if_ his father turned himself over to the authorities…..'"

"_Enough_," I growled, staring into the face of my adversary, that which was largely hidden by the dark sunglasses that he wore. I could see my own reflection mirrored in the lenses, and the sight of my face, covered by the mask that I hated and loved, sickened me. "I do not want to hear any more of this….."

I had been so concentrated on restraining myself, that it had not dawned on me that I was not the only one doing so, but suddenly X launched himself forward, moving so quickly that I did not have time to brace myself for his attack and he had his hand wrapped around my throat before I was completely aware of the fact that he had even moved.

I struggled to breathe while I stared into the black lenses that gave him a sinister and emotionless look that was similar to that of a Great White Shark. He was much stronger than I had given him credit for, which was yet another failure on my part, one that might very well end my life for me, if I did not fight back…but that was a concept that was not part of my being, I did not even know how to begin to go about the task of quitting, and I pulled back my fist and hit him in the side of the head, as hard as I could, and while he reeled from the blow I pulled myself loose from his grip and applied a hold all my own, reaching between his legs, taking his balls firmly in my hand, and giving them a good squeeze, then a twist that made him cry out in a voice that rose one octave, then two, until he filled the room with a screeching aria of pain.

"You were the one who left that file for Malayna, were you not?" I asked, the rampant fire within me turning my vision a violent shade of crimson, that which was reminiscent of bloodshed. "Answer me, damn you!" I shouted when he remained silent, tightening my grip on his testicles until I saw tears seeping out from behind his sunglasses. "Tell me the truth!"

"Mr. Bane, you must release him at once," Dr. Adelai said, rushing up beside me, to lay his hand on my forearm, as if he could stop me with his touch. "I know that you are angry, that is understandable, but you could do irreparable damage to him, if you continue in this way….."

"Of course I could, Doctor," I growled, smiling at my reflection, then frowning, because the sight of my own face was not nearly as satisfying as a glimpse of his terror-stricken eyes would have been. "What other reason could I possibly have for taking his scrotum into my hand, if not to destroy it completely?"

X's flow of tears grew more panicked, streaming down his face in a torrent that was accompanied by whimpers and whispered pleas that bolstered my temper and my need to cause him pain. I was feeding on his misery, and his fear, and there was a small part of me that was thoroughly disgusted by my behavior, but the larger part of me wanted even more, and that was the feeling that encouraged me to rip the glasses off of his face, so that I might witness all of his terror, and what I saw staring back at me shocked me.

His eyes were startlingly blue, much like the good doctor's, but the brilliant shade was made murky by the opaque haze that covered them, the telltale miasma of blindness, that caught me so off-guard that I loosened my hold on his testicles, not by much, mind you, but enough that he was able to pull away from me. His tears died away in an instant, as if by magic, or as though he had turned off the faucet of his emotions, and he reared back in his chair and struck out with his hands, catching me in the center of my chest and knocking me off-balance, then completely off my feet, the force of the blow sending me crashing to the floor.

He propelled himself out of his chair with a dexterity that would have effectively obscured his blindness, had his eyes remained hidden, and with an ease that indicated that my crushing hold on his scrotum had been a mere annoyance, or, at least it had, until I saw him wince, then shudder, which made me smile behind my mask. He walked over to me and hovered his foot over my own manhood for a moment, and it infuriated me that I grimaced, but that could not be helped. In the end he chose not to stomp upon my genitals, which was a blessing, though he had no compunctions whatsoever about placing his foot, clad in the finest Italian leather, on my throat.

"You are not one who ought to be making demands, Mr. Dorrance," he murmured, increasing his pressure just a bit, just enough to hinder my breathing. "You are merely an end to a means, a mindless minion, and I am your puppet master. I control you, I give you orders, and you will learn to follow them, without question, or you will learn the true meaning of pain. There are ways in which I might hurt you that you have not even imagined, and I will not hesitate to show you exactly what I am capable of, if you continue in this fashion. Have you heard, comprehended, and accepted everything that I've said, Mr. Dorrance?"

There was nothing wrong with my ears, so I had heard him just fine, and I considered myself to be a reasonably intelligent man as well, despite what X chose to believe about me, so I had comprehended his words with no problem at all. My difficulty laid in the acceptance of his words. I did not agree with them, I could not agree with them, and I would find myself damned before I would nod my head like an obedient puppy dog.

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" he said in a tone that held a hint of admiration, even as he increased the pressure on my throat, to the point that I couldn't draw another breath, and the one that I had taken before that started to escape me, and to leave me painfully breathless. "I suppose that was how you survived, wasn't it, Mr. Dorrance? How else could a boy have grown to a man surrounded by the hell of Peña Dura? It was a place that had the capability of destroying a grown man, yet you survived, why is that, hmm?"

I was not a man given to cursing, I had always believed it to be the sort of resource that a man of lower intelligence employed, at least on a regular basis, but at that moment I was tempted to tell him where he could go, and, more importantly, exactly how he could get there, but the foot on my throat hindered my speech, in addition to my ability to breathe, and all that I could do was gurgle nonsensically, until my vision went dark, and I knew no more.

* * *

"You would do well, in the future, to endeavor _not_ to entice his temper, Mr. Bane."

Dr. Adelai's voice sounded like it was resting at the end of a long tunnel, but then I felt the brush of his hand as he pressed a cold, wet cloth to my aching throat, and I knew that he was right beside me, caring for my wounds. My eyelids felt as if they weighed a ton, at the very least, but somehow I found the strength that was necessary to raise them, to turn my head and look at the good doctor, and was taken aback by the realization that his face was a welcome one, after what I had experienced with X.

"_He_ would do well, in the future, not to entice _mine_," I croaked, wincing from the stabbing pain that made its presence known in my throat as I spoke. "Granted, what I am suffering at this moment is unpleasant, but it is definitely preferable, in my opinion, to having to apply ice to ones genitals, would you not agree, Dr. Adelai?"

He smiled, a grin that grew larger and brighter, until at last he laughed, a chortle of hilarity that filled the room and had him nervously searching over his shoulder, lest someone, X, I would imagine, would be found lingering in the background, ready to pounce at the first hint of disrespect. How odd it was, to see the doctor reduced to this state, when he had seemed such a menacing adversary since Malayna and I had first made his acquaintance.

"Yes, that would be much worse," he agreed, pressing the cloth more firmly against my throat, and I closed my eyes in contentment as the iciness dulled the pain that had taken root in my flesh. "This was no way to go about your introduction to X, Mr. Bane. You've made an awful first impression, and that is the meeting that has always been, and will always be the most important….."

"I could not care less than I do at this moment about what sort of impression I made on that madman, Dr. Adelai," I growled, seizing hold of my throat, through the cloth that covered it, when my words caused a fresh wave of agony to seize hold of me. "This _plan_ of his is lunacy of the worst kind, and I know that he is the one who left that folder for Malayna to find. I want him to despise me, I want him to fear me, and I want to show him that he has made the biggest mistake that he will ever make….."

"You must obey him, Mr. Bane, you mustn't anger him, or be defiant, or he will make you pay….."

"I am used to those who attempt retaliation of one type or another, Dr. Adelai. This is not a prospect which frightens me….."

"No, you don't understand me," he pleaded, reaching down to take my hand, so that I would meet his eyes as I jerked away from him. "He will never lay a hand on _you_, Mr. Bane. It is Miss Bishop who will answer for your transgressions. He will beat her, he will rape her, and he will torment her for hours, right before your eyes, before he finally consents to kill her. Trust me on this, I know what he is capable of, I know the depths of his depravity, because I was once where you are. I once had a wife that I adored, and a sweet little girl, and he took both of them from me. He made me pay with a price that was worse than any I could have imagined. Please don't make the same mistake that I did, Mr. Bane…please don't toss Miss Bishop away."

Malayna's POV

It was almost midnight before I found him on the roof, after searching the facility high and low, top to bottom, for the past four hours. His meeting with Dr. Adelai had been scheduled to begin at four in the afternoon, and I'd expected him to be back in our room by six, at the latest, and I'd hesitantly waited until eight to begin searching for him. He wasn't under any obligation to report in to me, that was what I'd told myself, but after time passed by, and he wasn't with me, I stopped caring about what my role was in his personal life, or who I was, and I was determined, driven, to find the man that I loved.

In the end, my searching choices had been narrowed to the grounds, or the roof, and I reasoned that the roof was the more likely choice. I hated the idea of opening the door and strolling onto its surface, knowing, as I did, how high it was above the ground, but I had no choice, did I? There were only two conclusions available to me, as to why he wasn't beside me. Either he'd sought seclusion on his own, or he'd been taken, possibly harmed, and that was unthinkable to me, therefore I had no choice but to believe that he'd gone somewhere to hide, possibly to lick his wounds, and that meant that he needed me, whether he realized it or not.

There were lights spaced out on the edge of the roof, pointed toward the grounds, and I saw him sitting in the space between two of them, illuminated in the faint glow provided by the edge of the lights. He was sitting with his feet dangling over the ledge, which was a sight that made my knees weak with the fear that he might fall, or that I might do so, when I approached him, but I made my way toward him none the less, because I needed to reassure him, I needed to show him that there was one thing in the world that was constant and good, even if everything else had gone to Hell.

I took a deep breath and made my way to the edge, fighting a shaky stomach and wobbly knees the entire way. He turned to look at me as I approached, wearing that damnable mask, and after a moment he patted the spot beside him, indicating that he wanted he to sit down, which I did, after I took a second deep breath.

His eyes were filled with a jumble of emotions, ones that screamed at me, some which pleaded with me, and others that revered and adored me, but none which were dominant, none which battled with and conquered the others. There was a dark mark covering his neck, which was concentrated on his windpipe, and he winced when I touched it. I wanted to investigate further, but his hand grasped mine when I sought to touch him again, and his massive shoulders rose and fell once and then twice as he shook his head at me.

I watched his throat work and assumed that he was speaking to me, though I couldn't say with any certainty whether or not he was and that irritated me. I reached for the straps on his mask, expecting him to stop me at any moment, but he stayed still and watched me with his eyes which jumped from one emotion to another. I finally got it free, and laid it behind us, and waited to see if he would speak, then flinched in pain when he did.

"Leave me, my dear," he shaped, his eyes briefly conveying pain, and a hint of self-loathing. "I am not fit company for man nor beast, and certainly not for you, Malayna."

I felt a flare of anger, but I quickly stifled it, and, ignoring my own fears, moved to place myself on his lap, one leg straddling each of his hips, smiling to myself when I felt his arms, strong and warm and sure, hold me close against his body. The emotions that revered and adored were taking hold of the majority of his eyes, paired with those that pleaded, though there was a hint of irritation there as well.

"I will n-not be leaving you anytime soon, my love," I told him shakily, winding my arms around his neck and stroking the back of his head. "I d-don't know what has happened, and you don't have to tell me either, but I am _not_ going anywhere. You'll have to make me leave, you'll have to forcibly remove me from this roof, because I am here to stay….."

My words died away as his lips took hold of mine in a fervent hold that was a bit rougher than what I was accustomed to, but which I welcomed none the less. I could feel the need and the desperation in his hold, in the rhythm of his tongue as it moved in and out of my mouth, and I gasped against his lips as his hands took hold of my bottom and pressed me, in a tempo that matched the plunging of his tongue, against his erection.

Our breathing had quickened to the point where we were both panting, but he drew his mouth away from me, when I expected him to proceed, and stared into my eyes. "I know that you love me, Malayna, just as I love you, but I must know, right now, if there is something that I could say, anything that I could do, that might make you stop loving me. Are there any conditions on your feelings, my dear, or can I trust that there is nothing that could change what you feel for me?"

I felt a surge of irritation once more as I absorbed his question, but it was fleeting, just as the first one had been. Of course he mistrusted the sincerity of my emotions, how could he not, after what he'd experienced with Talia? We hadn't been lovers for very long, I hadn't had time to assure him, to show him the depth and the strength of my devotion for him, and something had obviously happened that had brought these doubts to the forefront of his thoughts, and I simply had to put his mind, as well as his heart, at ease.

"I don't give my heart lightly, my love, nor would I take yours carelessly in return," I said, proud to know that my voice was steady and sure as I answered him. "Love isn't meant to have conditions, it was not created with that purpose, and I can tell you, right here and right now, that there is nothing that you could say and nothing that you could do that would make me stop loving you. I'm here to stay, sweetheart, you won't be rid of me anytime soon, and the quicker that you accept that, the better off we'll both be."

A smile started on his face, small at first, then growing slowly, until it encompassed him completely. "You are mine and I am yours," he shaped, holding me close with one hand while his other stole to the buttons on my shirt, leisurely flicking them open, one by one, until I was bared to the cool breeze and the heat of his gaze. "Have I told you lately, my sweet little mouse, how very fine you are to me?"

It wasn't the first time that he'd referred to me as his "little mouse" and there was a part of me that said that I ought to have been offended by him comparing me to a rodent, even though it was obvious that he meant it as an endearment, but the truth of the matter was that I liked to hear the nickname, even though I had no idea what I'd done to inspire it.

"I am yours and you are mine," I agreed, panting and delving my fingers in his hair as his lips closed around my nipple, a gasp that grew to a whimper, then a cry of his name as he licked my flesh, suckling it and gently biting it, until I was squirming against him. "And if I am half as fine to you as you are to me, then I am very loved indeed."


	20. That I Should Rise and You Should Not

Chapter Twenty

That I Should Rise and You Should Not

Malayna's POV

Bane had always been protective of me, ever since we'd been taken he had made it his personal mission to watch over me, just as I watched over him, and I appreciated his overprotective nature, I always had, but lately it had become a tendency of his that was almost oppressive in nature, and I couldn't help but wonder what had brought upon this change in him. Something had happened during his last meeting with Dr. Adelai, that much was obvious, and that was the reason that I'd agreed to attend a meeting with the doctor, a private one, when I'd refused all the others that he'd asked for. Avoiding him for my own sake was one thing, but I couldn't continue to ignore him, not if he could help me to understand what had happened to make Bane behave the way that he was.

I stood at the window in the Throne Room, looking down at the vast lake that had caused me so much alarm early in my acquaintance with it and smiled, then blushed, then smiled even more, remembering the moments that Bane and I had spent beside that body of water, making love, completely oblivious to anything other than our need for one another. I'd never put much stock into the belief that sex was a wonderful way for a person to face their fears, and possibly, one day, to be free from them altogether, but my experience next to the lake proved me wrong, and if it hadn't, the moment that I'd shared with Bane on the rooftop damn sure would have, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

I was lost in the picturesque scene, and even more, in my memories, and the sudden reflection of Dr. Adelai, standing right behind me, his hand hovering over my shoulder, scared me out of my wits, and caused a blush to bloom on my face, all in the same instant. The first reaction was because I hadn't noticed him enter the room, and also because he'd always scared me. The second was due to the fact that I'd been caught up in the memory of Bane's face, of his beautiful bottom lip as he bit down upon it when his moment had arrived, up on the roof, and the way his eyes had burned with the fire of his arousal as he moved within me, then softened and filled with love, while he held me so tightly that it almost hurt, as he said my name, again and again, in the moments after he'd filled me with…..

"Yoo-hoo, Miss Bishop, come back!" Dr. Adelai said, waving a hand in front of my face. "Where have you gone, hmm? What could you possibly be thinking of, to have such a smile on your face, yet to be blushing the way that you are?"

I pushed the delightfully licentious thoughts and feelings to the back of my mind, to recall later, when it was safe for me to do so, and ignored the throbbing that was making itself known between my legs as best as I could. It would be an ice-cold day in Hell when I felt like sharing my innermost secrets with Dr. Adelai, hell, it would probably have to be pretty damned chilly there before I would exchange pleasantries with the man, but I'd agreed to meet with him, I knew that doing so was necessary, if I hoped to help my beloved, so I would grit my teeth and play nice…all while imagining acts of violence that I would love to perpetrate upon him, which was bound to make the time go faster, wouldn't you agree?

_I did not agree to this meeting so that you and I could swap stories with one another, Dr. Adelai. I am here to obtain information that might help me to care for Bane. So there is no need for me to explain any blushing or smiling on my part, are we completely clear on that_?

He watched me for a moment, with such a close scrutiny that I almost allowed my nerves to get the best of me, but fortunately I got control of myself before he saw me falter, or sweat, or tremble. There was so much of my life that he controlled, and even more of Bane's, but I, for one, wasn't about to sit back and willingly allow him to have complete control of me, not while there was an ounce of life left in my body, not while my mind stayed sharp and my heart stayed strong, and I damn sure wasn't going to let him have my beloved either, I'd kill him with my bare hands before I allowed that to happen.

"You ask that we keep things on a business only basis, yet you continue to intrigue me, and my mind can't help but wonder at the changes that have taken hold of you in such a short time, Miss Bishop," he said, smiling at me in a way that made my skin crawl. "First there is the blush, and the self-consciousness that always accompanies lust, and the reminders of the time spent in the arms of your lover, and then I saw anger, standing alone, only to be joined moments later by fierceness and determination. You communicate so much with your eyes, and with your body language, yet you refuse to speak to me aloud, even though I know that you can. Why is that, Miss Bishop?"

What I wouldn't have given to have been blessed with the ability to keep each and every one of my emotions a secret, to have the willpower to keep them all hidden away, available only to those that I wished to see them, but unfortunately I was something of an open book where my thoughts and feelings were concerned, and as such Dr. Adelai was able to read me with very little effort, and that made me mad…truth be told, it made me furious, and I would have loved to have had the opportunity to unleash that fury on him, but I couldn't. I just had to try to hide my anger as much as possible, no matter how impossible a task that it seemed to be.

_You must be a reasonably intelligent man, to have obtained your doctorate, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to read my lips, Dr. Adelai. There are precious few in this world whom I share my voice with, and you are not, nor will you ever be able to count yourself among that number_…..

He silenced me in an instant by swiftly closing the distance between us and placing his hand on my chin, grasping hard, so that my lips were caught between his thumb and his index finger. "Yes, Miss Bishop, I am a 'reasonably intelligent man' and I rather enjoy watching you form your words with your luscious lips, and believe me when I say that I am not the only one."

My mind raced and my heart pounded in my chest while I struggled against his hold. The more that I fought, the harder he held me, until at last my temper fought its way, kicking and clawing, through the darkness of my fear, and I felt a cry born of pure fury rise from within me, loosing itself out of my mouth, and moments later I stomped my foot down on top of his, which made him relax his hold on me, and then I brought my knee up between his legs, crashing into his credentials, and wished that I could have heard the howl that escaped him as he staggered back against, then slid down, the wall, cradling his aching balls in hands that trembled, ones that reminded me that beneath all of his bluff he was nothing more than pitiful old man.

I stared at him for a moment, then started to flee, before he could compose himself and attempt to prove himself as the villain once more, but he grabbed my ankle and held me right where I was, with a surprising strength that belied the estimation I'd just made of him. I was all set to pull away from him with every last ounce of strength that I possessed, all set to deliver another punishing kick to his testicles, but there was a look on his face that stopped me, a pleading expression which kept me from attacking him, if only for a moment.

"Forgive me, Miss Bishop," he said, turning loose of my ankle and struggling to sit up straight. "I had to behave the way that I did, because it is what _he_ expected, but he will not be watching any longer, now that you have injured me so grievously. I am certain that he is disgusted with me, and he will have retreated to his lair, to plan for my punishment….."

"What are y-you talking about?" I asked, forgetting, for the moment, that I didn't speak to him aloud. "Who was watching us, and why would he want you t-to treat me the way that you did? This better not be a trick on your part, Dr. Adelai, or s-so help me God, this time I'll _cut off_ your damned balls with a r-rusty….."

I saw his shoulders rising and falling, and for one moment I thought that he was weeping, but then I saw that he was laughing instead, what looked to be raucous and rollicking guffaws, to be precise, and I stood to the side, tapping my toe, while I waited for him to finish. I would imagine that most men would have had the opposite reaction, when the subject of castration was brought up, especially when the talk referred to _their_ balls being the ones sliced and diced…maybe he was crazy after all.

"Forgive me, Miss Bishop," he repeated, slowly gaining control of himself. "I can see why Mr. Bane is so taken with you. It is a rare thing to find a woman who is beautiful and beguiling, and also fierce and frightening. You remind me of my Phoebe, she was a fighter as well…but he ruined her in the end, and he will ruin you as well. He endeavors to capture Mr. Bane, just as he imprisoned me, and you are the key to doing just that, Miss Bishop. You are the one thing that Mr. Bane loves in this world, the one thing that he holds dear, and X will do anything and everything possible to you to break the one that you love in return, and then he will destroy you completely, to ensure that his newest pawn will be left with no choice but to fight, and when that fails, then he will serve."

"That will never happen," I argued, pulling my ankle out of his hand. "Bane would just as soon kill himself than to give into this _X_ person….."

He slowly shook his head and looked up at me, and my words died away when I saw that there were tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to course their way down his cheeks. "It will be no use for him to try," he said, unbuttoning, then rolling up his shirt sleeves, to show me the numerous scars that lined his forearms, from the crook of his elbow, down to his wrist, then loosing his tie and unbuttoning his collar, to show me similar marks on his neck. "He watched me at all times, and stopped me before I could successfully dispatch myself from this accursed world, and he will do the same thing to Mr. Bane…you can't fight him that way, Miss Bishop, because he will always win….."

"He may have won before, Dr. Adelai, but he's never had to go up against my Bane…and I won't be broken easily either….."

He seemed to laugh again, but only for a moment, then he looked at me and shook his head. "Yes, you will…you already have once before, so why should the next time be any different, hmm?"

Bane's POV

I usually exercised in my room, with Malayna watching over me, but she was in a meeting with Dr. Adelai, and I decided that I would leave my lair for my scheduled bout of isometrics. I knew that there was a large gymnasium on the premises, one which housed the best equipment available for putting one's body through the paces, and this would be the perfect time for me to try it out for myself…though I was bound to receive a thorough chastisement from my beloved for doing so without her presence, lest I require her assistance…hmm…I wonder if I could persuade her that it was absolutely necessary for her to do so with our clothing removed? No, she was certain to see through that…though it never hurt to try, did it?

I had stripped down to my cargo pants while I worked with the weights, starting slowly, as she would want me to do, then gradually working upward, until I was at a place which did not threaten or insult my masculinity, and was working at a wonderful, satisfying pace, when suddenly I became aware of the fact that I was no longer alone in the room. I would not have minded if Malayna had come upon me, even if she would have scolded me, because working my muscles the way that I was brought things to mind, memories to the forefront, that threatened to cause an uprising to take place, but alas, it was not my lady love who had sought me out, and the one who had found me made for an unwelcome sight, to say the very least.

"Have you had enough of a workout yet, or could you stand a little more?" Bianca Adelai, or, whoever she truly was, asked, lounging against the door, running her hand down the snowy length of her bare thigh, then up, further and further, 'til it slipped beneath the crimson fabric of her barely there, scrap of a dress. "Or maybe you'd prefer a shower, hmm? I could give you a good scrubbing, if you'd like me to, I wouldn't leave one inch of you unwashed, if you'd just let me….."

"You're not his daughter, are you?" I asked, reaching for my t-shirt and pulling it on as fast as I could, in spite of the fact that I was covered with sweat and the cotton clung to me like a second skin. "Who are you, then? Are you a slave to X, as Dr. Adelai is, or are you his whore instead?"

She did not flinch, nor did she appear affronted. She snarled at me instead, and I saw venomous fury flood her eyes, and make her look downright ugly, but only for a moment, and then her anger slid away, and left her overblown, ersatz _beauty_ in its place. She made her way across the room, teetering on the ice picks that she seemed to favor, and did her best to back me against the wall, but I refused to budge an inch, not even when she pressed her silicone enhanced breasts against my chest.

"No, I am not his daughter; I am nothing to that weak old man, just another player in the game. And no, I don't belong to X either, I don't belong to any man, I only belong to myself. I like who I want to like, and I screw who I want to screw, and right here, right now, that is you. I'm sure that little nurse was fun, to begin with, but she'd got to be getting old now, that you've had her so many times, and there are things that I could do to you, things that I could show you, that she never even thought about….."

I reached out and took hold of her arms, turning so that she was the one who was backed against the wall while I tightened my grip and held her firmly in place. "You might not act as a _whore_ to X, but you are a filthy, more than likely diseased harlot none the less, and I would rather have the masculine parts of my body sawed off with the bowl of a corroded spoon than to place them within a mile of you."

It was not in my nature to deliberately cause physical harm to a female, but at that moment my anger was such that it impaired my thinking, and my reasoning, and it was all that I could do, to keep myself from ripping her limb from limb. "And you would do well to never speak of Miss Bishop again. I am offended by the mention of her from your filthy mouth, and I will not hesitate to rip your tongue out if you even breathe a hint of her to me again, is that understood?"

She was brainless, there was no denying that fact, but she had enough of a survival instinct intact to keep her mouth shut…but only until I had loosened my grip on her arms somewhat, then her senses took leave once more. "I won't have to mention her too much longer anyway, lover boy," she purred, arching against me, so that the corrupted source of her femininity stroked against my flesh, which fortunately had cooled by that time, causing me to shudder with disgust…and fury. "X has plans for that fat little cunt, he's going to take care of her the same way that he took care of Adelai's wife and kid, and then you'll take his place as X's little lapdog….."

I was awash in an anger that was unlike any I had felt in a good, long while. My eyes were coated by the harsh, crimson scales of burning fury and the metallic tang of blood filled my mouth while I raised my hands from her shoulders and carried them toward her neck. It had been so long since I had killed another, but this was the perfect moment to bring that beast out of its slumber, she needed to die, she _deserved_ to die, and it would be an honor to snuff the life from her with my bare hands.

"No, wait, please don't," she pleaded, her faulty instinct to survive kicking in a moment too late to save her. "It was a mistake, I'll do anything that you ask, just please, don't kill me, please, don't….."

Her pleas, which were not quite as worthy of an Academy Award as she might have liked to believe, fell on deaf ears, and I took her neck in my hands and started to squeeze, taking immense pleasure in the way that the color of her face started to change, as if she was a chameleon of sorts, though her metamorphosis would not save her from me, nothing would do that…save for the tiny person who launched herself onto my back and nearly clawed my hands bloody in an attempt to pull them away from the whore's throat.

"No, Bane, you can't d-do that, my love," she pleaded, taking my hair firmly in her hands and pulling it, hard, when I refused to loosen my grip, even with the encouragement that her hands on mine had provided. "Don't you see that you're being tricked? X sent her here, he's watched this whole scenario unfold, and if you kill this bitch you'll just b-be playing into his hands!"

The red curtain faded to a mist, and the taste of blood slowly left my mouth. My hands were throbbing, my head even more so, but those were paltry details to me at that moment. "Who told you about him?" I asked, turning to look at my fierce little mouse, my little warrior woman. "And how do you know what he does, and what he sees, my dear?"

She shook her head at me, then turned to the ceiling and smiled, and I watched, dumbstruck, feeling utterly dense and blind, as a tiny light, which had shone red, flickered once, then died. "I will explain everything later, my sweet, once we are alone," she said, then advanced on the trembling blonde, whose naturally unnatural color had returned, while she stood trembling, still clearly terrified, and for good reason to, if Malayna meant to deal with her personally.

"If I was you, and I wished to survive beyond this day, I would leave now, before that bastard sets his dogs on you," she told her, in a voice that was chilling in tone. "Or before I finish what Bane began…and I won't be nearly as kind about it as my beloved was either."

She didn't need any further encouragement to turn tail and run, but I barely gave her a parting glance as she fled the room. I was too busy looking at the woman that I loved in awe, the sort that was born partly of admiration, but with a healthy dose of fear, and just the tiniest hint of arousal as well. I had seen her fierce before, and I knew that she was protective of me, but I never would have believed that she would murder for me, and, even more so, that she would possibly do so with a smile on her face.

God help me, but I loved this woman…I just hoped that she continued to cherish me as well, because I hated to think about what she might do to me, if her love ever turned to animosity, for as William Congreve said, "Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned." Followed by "Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorned." Wiser words were never spoken, and a man would do well to heed them, and you can believe that I did, without a moment's hesitation.

"Let's return to our room, honey," she said, taking my hands in hers and pressing her lips to the abrasions that her nails had raised, caressing each one in a gentle and loving fashion. "I think that you could use a shower and a little ointment for these hands as well."

That was all fine and well, but where was her irritation over me exercising without her? And what was more, why did I desire to see her that way, when I ought to be encouraging her sweetness instead? "Yes, I suppose that I could," I said just a little dejectedly, dragging my feet somewhat, until she turned to smile at me in a way that made my heart beat faster with anticipation.

"And then, while I give you your massage, we can discuss how it isn't the best thing for you to do, to exercise on your own, without me nearby, to offer you my help, should you need me."

Hmm…she always massaged me on the bed, while I was naked, and she was naked, and sometimes she used more than just her hands, sometimes she used her…hmm…maybe there was something to be salvaged of this day after all, would you not agree?


	21. His Truth Is My Repose

Chapter Twenty-One

His Truth Is My Repose

Bane's POV

It was an odd feeling, after all that we had shared with one another, to have her treating me with politeness and professional courtesy, but she insisted on keeping these appointments that tested my readiness for the first of my surgical procedures decorously restrained to the relationship that existed between a nurse and her patient. I could understand, and respect, her insistence of the two of us putting our feelings aside in these moments, truly I could, that is, I did, but it would have been much easier for me to do so if she was not wearing the ensemble that she was, which made it difficult for me to conduct myself in a way that could be called _gentlemanly_.

I told myself that there was nothing about her clothing that was provocative, that there was not a single thing about it that ought to have set my pulse to racing and made my libido stand up and take notice, but no matter how I tried, I simply could not convince myself that there was no reason for me to respond to her the way that I was. Her dress was one that was plain and white, very utilitarian in style, but I could not help but notice the way that the pristine hem touched the top of her knee, almost as if it was caressing it, nor could I ignore the row of buttons that started right above her breasts and ran all the way down the front of the dress, the ones which begged me to rip them apart, until she was standing before me, bare and…..

"Goodness, your heart is racing," she murmured, bending closer to me and affording me a glimpse of the naked slopes of her breasts, which was a sight that made my heart gallop all the faster. "Is there something worrying you, sweetheart, I mean, aside from the usual 'prisoner of people who are completely out of their mind' issues, that is?"

I thought back on something that Dr. Adelai had told me, about how feeling love for a woman to the point of obsessiveness was a dangerous thing, and I realized now that he had been telling me the truth. I had been so fixated upon Talia at one point, and that preoccupation had nearly cost me my life, and what was frightening was the knowledge that the feelings that I had experienced with her were paltry in comparison to the almost fanatical love and desire that I felt for Malayna. I truly feared the day that anyone would try to take her away from me, I wept for all of the innocent souls who would perish, because there was no doubt in my mind that I would burn the world in order to get her back, and God help whomever tried to get in my way.

"Hmm…a racing heart, a deadly scowl, and a refusal to speak to me. I can't s-say for certain what's ailing you, Bane, but I'm starting to think that you're mad at me about something, and if that's the case I wish you'd just say what I've done, and stop giving me the silent treatment, okay? Granted, things are silent for me all of the time, but I still appreciate you making the effort to communicate with me, if my only other choice is you….."

"Why do you not trust me?" I asked quietly, curling my hands against the bedcovers that rested beneath me. "Why did you have to bring people into your life that can hurt you? Why did you not tell Dr. Adelai to be quiet when he started to tell you about X? Do you not know what it does to me, to know that he has more reason to watch you now than he did before? Can you not comprehend what I am suffering with, now that you have placed yourself in his line of sight?"

I had hurt her with my silence, and my words caused her even more pain, which angered me further, and made me curse myself for not concentrating on the arousal that was coursing through me and making me crazy. The anger had been buried deep, in a place where it would have stayed quiet, where it would have festered for days before it needed to be released, so why had I done so prematurely? Was there not enough chaos in our lives already? Why could I not keep my mouth shut when it was best that I do so?

But then, my silence would not do either, because it bothered her too, so what alternative did that leave me? Perhaps I simply was not capable of doing anything correctly…or maybe I was simply pouting and indulging in a pity party, and if that was the case, the one thing that I needed more than anything was a good, swift kick to my backside, but who on earth could do that without me retaliating in kind?

"I _do_ trust you," she hissed, practically ripping the blood pressure cuff off of my arm. I flinched when I saw that she'd taken a thermometer in her hand and was approaching me once more with eyes that promised violence, and readied myself for her attempt at flipping me onto my stomach and forcing my pants down to my knees, but her touch was very gentle as she inserted the bulb into my mouth, to rest beneath my tongue, though her eyes had lost none of the sparks of anger that I had brought to life within them. "I trust you with my heart, I trust you with my _life_…haven't I shown you that time and time again?"

"Yes, you have, Malayna, but….."

"And I've been surrounded by people who take joy out of causing me pain for a good deal of my life, in case y-you hadn't guessed that by now," she continued, standing in front of me, with her hands on her hips, while she glared down at me. "As for Dr. Adelai, I would have had more luck flying to the moon by flapping a set of w-wings that had sprung out of my ass than I would have had trying to shut him up once he was on a roll, but I would rather know everything that there is to know, because at least now I am aware of the fact that some sick son of a bitch has been getting his jollies watching us, and I can occasionally direct a rude gesture toward him, when the mood strikes me, because I have no intention whatsoever of hiding under the bed and waiting until it's safe for me to c-come out, because I know that it will _never_ be safe for me, or for you, not so long as we're in this godforsaken place!"

There had not been many occasions in my life when something or someone had stunned me, but watching her rant and rave at me, listening to some of the words that had come out of my beloved's mouth, had worked quite well to put me in that state. I knew that I had stifled a fair bit of anger myself lately, but I had been too dim to see that she had been doing the same, and what was worse was that one side of her mouth was hitching up and down and her chin was growing wobbly, and it was obvious that her emotional state bothered her, it made her feel weak, and she would undoubtedly flee the room before she cried, if I did not stop her, so I reached out and took hold of her wrist, drawing her toward the bed, then down, so that she straddled my lap, with no heed at all for my personal safety, should she choose to react in a violent fashion.

"Forgive me, my love," I said, reaching back to pull the pins out of her hair, so that it would fall and cascade down her back and over her shoulders. "It is a poor excuse, at best, but I allowed my anger and my fear to get the best of me. That is why I would not speak to you, and that is why I was scowling at you….."

She silenced me by placing her fingertip against my mouth, and then ran it in a softly teasing caress along my bottom lip. "Of course I forgive you, sweetheart," she murmured, while she continued to trace a path over my mouth, first the bottom lip, then the top, then back to the bottom again. "And it's understandable that you're on edge, because I am as well…but why won't you tell me about the reason that your heart was racing?"

It was still galloping, I could feel it, and I knew that she could as well, just as we could both sense the hardness that was insistently making itself known in my pants, boldly seeking her warmth and her softness through the layers of our clothing…well, the layers of _my _clothing, and of her panties that is. Why on earth had I not noticed that before? How could I have possibly missed the fact that she was straddling me in a way that some might call indecent, that being that the prim and proper dress that had been causing me so much distress was bunched up around the top of her thighs?

"You know what was causing that," I said, hesitating for just a moment before I slid my hands up her bared thighs, up under her dress, to grasp the waistband of her panties tight in my fists. "Just like you know what you are doing to me right now, do you not?"

She started to smile, then caught herself, and strove to scowl at me instead, but her effort was paltry, at best. "Surely this dress isn't stimulating to you, my love," she said flirtatiously, leaning back on my lap, so that she could unfasten the top button, followed by another, then one more, until she had unbuttoned it to her waist. "And surely you don't mean to say that I'm a tease, because provoking you is the furthest thing from my mind….."

It did not take much strength on my part, just a small amount, really, a quick tug, and the waistband of her panties snapped in my hands and I smiled at the sound of her gasp and concentrated everything that I was feeling at that moment into my gaze, and felt something that could only be called conceit take hold of me when I saw the way her own eyes widened, then slowly grew warm with the heat of her own burgeoning arousal.

"You have known the entire time you have been wearing that dress what it was doing to me, have you not, my dear?" I growled, slowly pulling her ruined panties off of her body, my hand lingering for a moment or two on her backside as I did, before tossing them across the room. "That is why you spent so much time sashaying as you walked, was it not, because you wished to torment me, did you not?"

"Hmm…well, that is, maybe, well, I mean….."

"That is exactly what you meant to do, and you were very successful, my love," I said, moving my hand beneath her dress once more, to slide over her bottom, chuckling when I felt her tense, as if she expected me to swat her, then she whimpered, and drew in a long breath through teeth that were tightly clenched as I found, and stroked, the swollen warmth that rested between her thighs. "But there are always consequences to be paid for your actions, and I mean to see you teased and tormented before I am satisfied that you have properly learned your lesson. I do not do this solely for my own pleasure, but also so that you might know….."

My words died away with a groan as she leaned forward, using her lips to silence me, and surging her hips to take more of the length of my fingers into her silken embrace. "If you truly wish to punish me, you're going about it in the wrong way, my love," she said, whimpering and biting her bottom lip as I found a spot within her that was particularly sensitive to my touch. "You could stop, and leave me in this state, that is, you could, if you truly wished to be cruel to me."

Where had my timid little mouse gone to? When had she grown so bold? Of course, I was not bound to complain about the change in her, but I still wondered when she had turned loose of her timidity and grown to the temptress who was currently rising and falling upon my fingers and driving me to distraction with tiny whimpers and sighs of my name. She was a wise woman, because she knew just as well as I did that stopping would punish me just as much as her, and I knew that I would never be able to do so…but there was no reason why I should let her in on that bit of knowledge, was there?

"I think that I am doing just fine," I said, moving her dress aside, so that I could gently bite the tip of her breast through her bra. "I will discipline you soon, but not yet. There is much teasing and tormenting to be done, my dear, and it is bound to pain me just as much as it does you, but I must do this, otherwise you will never learn."

Malayna's POV

The car came out of nowhere and veered into our line of traffic. I saw myself as a girl, I remembered everything that I'd felt, that I'd heard, and seen and smelled in that moment, when the headlights of the other car had illuminated the cab of our vehicle. My high, piercing scream joined with my mother's as my father struggled with what had been a split-second decision. His choices had been limited to driving into the other lane, which would have sent him into the path of an oncoming vehicle, or into, and through, the guardrail…and he'd chosen the second option.

The moments that passed after the car went through the rail and plummeted toward the water were the fastest that I'd ever experienced, yet everything seemed to stand still at the same time as my mother turned to look at me, with tears streaming down her cheeks. There was outright horror in her eyes, but she tried to smile at me anyway, and I did the same, and we froze in that instant, for just a second, then the car hit the water with a thunderous crash and I bounced around in my seat, my head pounding against the wall and the ceiling of our car, and everything went black.

The rush of cold water against my body, surging into my face awakened me, and the first thing that I did was to cry out, first for my mother, and then for my father. It was difficult, but somehow I managed to open my eyes and my gaze was drawn to Mama, in the hope that she would be smiling at me, that she would undoubtedly be hurt, but that she would be just fine, given some time. That was what I wanted to see, but the sight that awaited me was completely different, and I started to scream, and to cry, as I stared at her once beautiful face, which had been broken and rose and fell in bloody summits and bases, and saw that her eyes were still open, but they weren't watching me, they were looking right through me…..

….. "No, Mama, don't go, p-please God, no!" I screamed, bolting upright in the bed, slapping my hands against the water that grew higher and higher, but my hand didn't connect with anything cold and wet. What I slapped was large and warm and strong, and he drew me into his arms as I started to sob uncontrollably, stroking my hair and laying my head upon his chest, so that I could feel it rumbling and know that he was comforting me.

He leaned over to the side of the bed, carrying me with him, and turned on the lamp, so that I could see his face, which was the only way that he could speak to me, though it made me uneasy to know that him doing so would enable X to follow everything that I said, if he was watching. I suppose that I shouldn't have been too concerned with that, given that Bane and I had given him one hell of a show earlier in the day, but I couldn't help but feel grateful when I looked all around at the ceiling and saw that the red lights were all out, which meant that we were alone.

"Tell me what happened, Malayna," he said, cuddling me close to his chest and rubbing his hand up and down my back. "I know that you want to forget what you dreamed, I know that it is painful for you to remember what happened, but this is just what you need to set the record straight, once and for all."

"I can't, I just can't," I sobbed helplessly. I didn't want to think about what happened anymore. I just wanted him to comfort me, just as he always had in moments such as this one, and soothe me back to sleep, but I knew that this time was different, no matter how I might wish it to be the same, and he wasn't going to have pity on me. "Why are you d-doing this to m-me?" I asked, choking and sputtering as I struggled to speak, which served to spark my temper to life beneath my fear and my sorrow. "Why won't you l-let me find some p-peace?"

His hand moved from my back to my cheek, and his other hand cupped the other side of my face while he kissed me. A mean streak within me urged me to turn my head away from him, to deny him that embrace, but it was a small part of me, infinitesimal, really, and the larger, more dominant part of me relished the feel of his palms on my face, and needed to feel his lips pressed against mine, and I didn't deny him, I enjoyed him instead, and felt horribly alone when he moved his mouth away from mine.

"You _can_ do this, my love, and you must remember, otherwise you will never know a moment of peace," he said, smiling at me while he wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "If you do not allow the memory to live, you will allow X to win, and all that will be remembered of your father is the lies that were told. You do not want that to happen, do you?"

"Mama died when the car hit the water," I said, thinking to myself that I would do anything and everything in my power to interfere with X's plan to be the victor over me, and that I would never allow him to malign my father's name again, not while there was a breath of life within me. "I saw her face, it was shattered, and her eyes didn't see me anymore. I started to cry, and to scream, and then suddenly Daddy was calling for me. He told me to move toward him as fast as I could, but my head hurt, and it was hard to keep my eyes open, and I didn't move as quickly as I ought to have….."

I choked on a sob, remembering Daddy's voice, so calm and so strong, in spite of what was happening all around us. "He had every reason to be cross with me, b-but he never yelled, he n-never got mad, he just reached his hand out to me and helped me to move toward the front. There was a moon roof on top of the car, and the water hadn't covered it yet."

I paused in my story, struggling to remember, but the memories acted like wisps of clouds, scattering this way and that when I tried to grasp hold of them. I balled my hands into fists and shrieked with frustration, hammering them against the side of my head, which was something that I'd done when I was younger, and Bane reacted just as my parents always had, grabbing hold of my fists in his palms and pulling them down to my sides.

"That will not help you to remember," he said, his eyes warning me not to hit myself again. "Just be patient, my love, let the memories work in their own time. Take a deep breath and open your mind and your heart….."

I did as he asked, though it wasn't the easiest thing that I'd ever done, and several minutes ticked by while I waited, but I forced myself to remain calm, and sure enough the moments in the car returned to me, just as he'd promised they would. "I reached up and opened the moon roof and started to reach for Daddy's hand, but he told me that I had to go without him. The dash had shifted forward on impact and h-his legs were caught beneath it. He t-told me that he l-loved me, he told me t-that Mama loved me, and then he told me to climb, he t-told me to live….."

My voice broke and several moments passed while I cried, and Bane didn't rush me, he simply held me instead, until I was strong enough to continue. "I started to climb out of the moon roof, but the water started rushing in and tried to push me back inside of the car. I begged Daddy to help me, and I felt him reach up as far as he could and push me. It seemed impossible that I would be able to escape, but he didn't give up, not even when the cab of the car was filled to the brim with water. He kept pushing me, and finally I was out, but I didn't have any strength left to swim. I felt myself sinking to the bottom, then something hit me in the head, and everything went black again. I didn't expect to wake up, but I did, in the arms of a policeman, out of the water, wrapped in a blanket, and everything was so quiet, too quiet, and then I went back to sleep, and I didn't wake up again for two weeks."

Dear God, I was so tired. I felt like I'd been running for miles, I felt like I'd been run over and tossed aside like a rag doll, but for all of my exhaustion, and all of my pain, I couldn't stop the smile that started slowly and grew, until it had complete control of my face. I'd known the truth all along, and it had been foolish of me to allow my mind to be swayed, but there would be no chance of that happening again. I knew the truth, which was the most important thing, but now Bane knew it as well, and he would be there to help me remember, if I needed him to.

I turned toward him, to shower him with the beam that was starting to hurt my cheeks. "I remembered," I said wonderingly, throwing my arms around him, to hold him tightly. "Who would have thought that I had it in me?"

He pulled back away from me and smoothed my hair from my face, then kissed me gently in the center of my forehead. "I do not wish to sound conceited, my dear, but I knew that you could do so all along. I tried to tell you, several times, as a matter of fact, but you simply would not listen to me. Perhaps you will do so in the future, now that you have seen for yourself that I am almost always right. Now then, I think that we ought to get some sleep, would you not agree?"

I stared at him for just a moment, then elbowed him in the side, a safe distance from his scars, and imagined the _oomph_ of pain that had undoubtedly risen from him. "Yes, I am awfully tired," I said, laying down and rolling over onto my side. "And it pained me to hurt you, my sweet, but there are consequences that you must pay for your actions, aren't there….?"

My words ended in a squeal as he rolled me over onto my back and hovered over me. "There are indeed, my dear," he said, bending his head to nip my bottom lip, then my neck, and finally, and most sharply, on the tip of my breast. "Though I imagine they will not be terribly painful for either one of us, will they?"


	22. Take Me Back To My Beginning

Chapter Twenty-Two

Take Me Back To My Beginning

Malayna's POV

Bane was gone; he was in a meeting with the "council of advisors" that had taken an interest in his case. It was good that he had people who were willing to help him, to continue fixing the damage that had been done to his body, but what would the cost to him be, when all was said and done? Why wasn't I allowed to sit in at these meetings, and to offer any insight that I could, having been one of his caretakers since he'd first come into the hands of the medical personnel of Gotham? Why was he so secretive about what went on in these meetings? And why in hell did he feel that it was necessary that he strap that cursed mask onto his face before he left?

I kept my hands busy, cleaning both of the bedrooms that had been given to us when we arrived at this place, as well as the bathrooms, but no matter what tasks I took on, no matter how many chores I assigned myself, I just couldn't keep my mind from wondering and worrying. I'd been a fairly confident and assured person until that summer when I was twelve, but everything had changed then, and the person that I'd been had retreated deep within me, it was possible that she might have died completely…..

_Worries don't go away, just because you've decided to ignore them, sweetheart_, Granny said in my ear, and I knew that it wasn't real, but I could almost feel her hand on my shoulder. _You've got to face them head-on, don't you? The storm is still coming, Malayna, and you're in its path…and so is that man that you have insisted on loving. You're still a confident and assured person. You didn't truly change, sweetheart, you adapted, and you'll find her again, but you've got to have the faith that you can do so._

I smoothed my hand against the bedspread, for what had to have been the twentieth time, at the very least, then ruined my work by sitting on the side of the bed and tucking my foot beneath my leg while I hugged Bane's pillow close against my chest, burying my nose against its softness, so that I could draw in his scent and take comfort in it.

"It's obvious that you know what is going to happen, s-so why don't you just tell me," I muttered in a voice that was filled with irritation, despite her attempts to soothe me. "I've never been all that fond of secrets and I don't take any enjoyment in guessing games either, so why d-don't you just fill me in on what you know?"

There had been a time, not too long ago, as a matter of fact, when I never would have dared to speak to her that way, because I would have been too worried about hurting her feelings to put a voice to the thoughts that were in my heart and in my head, but circumstances were growing more dangerous with each day that passed us by, and if there was something that I could be told, some knowledge and wisdom that could be revealed to me, I wished that she would just tell me, instead of keeping me in the dark.

_Believe me when I say that I wish there was more that I could do, Malayna, but rules are rules, and all that I can do is advise you in the way that I think that you ought to go, and to steer you away from that which might hurt you. I'm not allowed to make your choices for you, because your will is your own, sweetheart. You were given a mind, a heart and a soul, and it's up to you which path you choose to place each of these on. _

"What's the use of hearing a voice in my head like a crazy person if that voice doesn't whisper the answer to life's riddles in my ear?" I asked, kissing Bane's pillow softly and setting it back in its place on the bed. "Or, better yet, why don't you give me the winning numbers for the next lottery jackpot, so I can take the money and run away with Bane?"

I waited for her to laugh, but she was quiet, and I would have sworn that I felt her move up behind me and slip a hand over my mouth. _Shh_, she whispered into my ear, and I watched with wide eyes as a shadow hovered in the hall, outside of my door, for just a moment, before a manila envelope came sliding from underneath. _Tread carefully, Malayna_, she murmured, her voice growing softer and softer as she moved away from me. _Hold to that which you trust, which you know to be true, and listen for the storm, sweetheart_.

I was hesitant to leave the bed, which suddenly seemed so safe, but then I realized that I was being silly, because it was obvious that the envelope simply held more instructions for Bane's care, and I forced myself to cross the floor and retrieve it. It was a good deal heavier than any of the other packets that I'd received in the past, and for one moment I entertained the notion that this was something that had been sent to me to scare and horrify me, just as that nonsense about my father had been, but if that was the case, then I had nothing to fear, did I? I had overcome that trauma, with Bane's help, which meant that I could triumph over anything that they sent our way…couldn't I?

The envelope held a file, which was what I'd expected, but there weren't regiments and restrictions waiting to be read between its covers. The first document looked to be a certificate of some sort, but it took me a moment to realize that it was a birth certificate because the text was all in Spanish, and that was a language that I knew very little of. It seemed to have come from a place called Santa Prisca, or, more specifically, from a facility called Peña Dura, which was said to be a _prisión_, and I knew enough to realize that meant that it was a prison.

The child, who I saw was a boy, had been born to a female prisoner, whose name was listed as _desconocido_, or, unknown, but the name of the father was provided as Edmund Dorrance. How was it possible that the authorities would know who had fathered the child, if the mother, who was clearly an inmate of the prison, was unknown? Even more mindboggling to me was why someone had delivered this information to me, when I had no clue who Edmund Dorrance was, or why I would be concerned with the child who'd been his son.

The next set of documents were medical records for the child who'd been raised inside the prison, the one who'd been called Ifan, from his birth until he'd reached the early age of adulthood. It was a substantial chronicle, one that showed proof of a child who'd been horribly abused, which outraged and angered me, well, that is, it heaped more indignation and fury onto that which already existed at the notion that a defenseless little boy would be raised in a prison at all.

I made myself skim over every entry, piecing out what I could about his life, and had almost reached the end when a couple of phrases caught my eye, and made me examine them more carefully. The first thing that drew me was the mention of a _disturbio_, a riot, that had taken place, in which Ifan was _batido_, or beaten, and, if I had read the words correctly, he sustained substantial injuries, many of them to his back, and the efforts made to heal his wounds had only worsened them, and as a result he'd _cegado_, blinded, the doctor in a fit of rage.

"Could it be….?" I wondered aloud, then shook my head in denial, though the sinking feeling in my stomach seemed to grow worse with every second that passed by.

The last documents in the file gave me the impression that they'd been part of someone's scrapbook. As a matter of fact, they were similar to what I would find if I was to look inside of my black album. There were articles that detailed the crime spree of an individual who was described as a mercenary, as a terrorist, as one with "eyes that were devoid of any human emotion" and who "epitomized evil". The man's name had been removed from the articles, but I could assume that he was Edmund Dorrance, because surely the boy Ifan hadn't survived his ordeal and turned into the nameless man described in these articles, had he?

I turned to the last page and stared at the grainy photo that covered the majority of the article, an image which, apparently, was the only one known to exist of the man, and it was a face that I knew all too well. The only part visible were the eyes, and while they were terrifying to behold, they certainly weren't 'devoid of any human emotion', because anger and aggression and hatred were definitely human emotions, and his eyes were filled with all of those feelings, and were so different from those that I'd come to love…from those that I would always love.

Bane's POV

My familiarity with the facility was limited to my quarters, and Malayna's, and to the Throne Room, with a onetime visit to the kitchen downstairs and the gymnasium, but none of those rooms were on my list of destinations for the day. I had assumed that X would wish to meet with me in the Throne Room, to discuss the absolute lunacy that he had presented to me as his plan for the world, but he had insisted that I meet with him in a room that was simply called Peekaboo, which, I assume, was meant to be clever and cutesy in nature, but which was, in reality, inane and irritating instead.

"I was under the impression that you worked for Dr. Adelai," I said to one of the muscle-bound brutes that was escorting me to my meeting, one who was either Mr. Simmons or Mr. Warner. "Is there anyone in residence who actually works for the good doctor, or are you all simply minions of the mysterious X?"

Neither of them paid me any mind at all, not that I had expected them to. The journey seemed endless, down long, winding, dimly lit hallways, deep into the earth, until we finally reached a massive door that opened the moment that we stepped in front of it. I hesitated for just a moment, looking all around me, and then I followed the burly duo into a room that had no lights, save for the ones provided by the glow of the computer monitors all throughout the room, many of them, fifty, at the very least, all being watched by a dozen or so.

There was a large black leather chair situated in the center of the room, one that resembled a throne, and seated upon it was X, lording over his hive of workers. Their fingers quietly clacked on their keyboards, and there was a constant hum of whispers that filled the room, whispers that seemed to be directed to one of the three men seated at X's feet, who, in turn, would give the message to him.

The blinking red lights made sense to me now. He was not able to see any of our movements for himself, but he had plenty of eyes available to him none the less. I could see that each and every place that Malayna and I inhabited was being watched, very closely, as a matter of fact, and it made my temper surge, then boil, when I saw that a couple of the cameras were centered solely on our bed.

"How do you like the way that I see, Mr. Dorrance?" X asked, turning toward the door and smiling. "It is unfortunate that I lost the usage of my eyes, but I have found that there are sufficient alternatives for those who have the resources necessary to obtain them. I do so miss seeing everything for myself, and there are several in my employ who lack the imagination and narrative to make me see things as I once did, but there are plenty who make up for them…stand up, if you please, Miss Linton, and allow our guest to have a good look at you."

I turned my attention toward the ghostly pale woman who reluctantly rose to her feet, and met her gaze for just a moment, making her blush furiously beneath the deathly pallor of her face. She trained her eyes on her feet after that and refused to look up, even when X began to speak, words which mocked and shamed her, until her shoulders started to shake and her hands were kept busy wiping away the tears that coursed down her cheeks.

"Ah, Miss Linton, I would have thought that you would be pleased to see Mr. Dorrance in the flesh, after all of the time that you have spent _admiring_ his flesh," X continued, the smile on his face growing as the sounds of the poor woman's quiet weeping reached his ears. "You ought to hear her descriptions of you without your clothing, of the way that you kiss Miss Bishop, of the way that you make love to Miss Bishop, so commandeering, yet so loving, so forceful, while still so gentle, so….."

"That is enough," I growled, ignoring Mr. Simmons' and Mr. Warner's attempts to keep me right where I was to cross the room and place myself in front of X's throne. "I did not agree to meet you so that you could amuse yourself by humiliating your employees in my presence, and, for the last time, do _not_ address me as Mr. Dorrance. That name has never been mine, nor will it ever be mine, and if I hear it even one more time I will return to my room, and….."

"And allow Miss Bishop to tell you exactly what your true name was, is, and always be, because I can assure you that she knows all about you," he said, interrupting me mid-tirade, with words that silenced me in an instant. "She knows every part of your life, from your birth until this moment, and it was news that made her…remind me again, Miss Linton, what was Miss Bishop's reaction to my gift?"

The poor woman had ceased her weeping, but she was still noticeably trembling as she raised her eyes to look at me. "She started crying, sir," she whispered, then lowered her gaze to the floor, to stare at her feet. "She's stopped now, but she looks very angry. I'd tread lightly with her, if I was you….."

"That will be enough, Miss Linton," X said loudly, in a voice that had taken on a harsh tone. "I asked you what her reaction to the file was, not what she is doing right now."

I could feel my grip on my self-control slipping, and I knew that I was moments away from losing any and all ability that I had of keeping myself from a total meltdown. The edges of my vision were turning crimson in hue, a shade that would eventually cover my eyes completely and a metallic taste blossomed in my mouth and threatened to choke me as I stared at the man in front of me, my hands tightening into fists as I imagined choking the life from his body.

"What have you done?" I whispered, not trusting myself to speak any louder than that, lest I lose all semblance of the man that I tried so hard to be. "Have you not hurt her enough?"

"I was simply being honest with her, this time, because it seemed that you had no intention of doing so," he said, in a voice that was filled with gloating and satisfaction. "I thought that you might want to know, with all certainty, whether or not Miss Bishop truly loves you enough to stand by your side, no matter what. I have a bad feeling that she will continue to do so, even with the startling news that she has learned today, and then I will be forced to resort to the same tactics that I took with my sister-in-law…isn't that right, George?"

Dr. Adelai stepped out from behind X's throne, and I was taken aback by the sight of his face, which was pale and drawn and covered with numerous bruises and lacerations. "You swore to me that you would never mention Phoebe to me again," he said angrily, defiant in spite of the injuries that X had undoubtedly had meted out to him. "I've done my part, I've given you everything that you wanted, and that was all that I asked for in return, so why must you insist on bringing her into this?"

My head was spinning and I was filled with a nearly overwhelming urge to tear both of them apart with my bare hands. I watched them while they squabbled back and forth with one another, pondering which of them that I would kill first, before my gaze was drawn to the screens all throughout the room, the ones that showed the intimacies of my days, along with Malayna's, the ones that never gave us a moment's peace, and I realized that this would always be our life together, as long as they bid it to be so…and I would be damned before I would allow it to continue any longer.

* * *

It was difficult to run when you were seriously injured, but it was not the first time that I had been forced to do so. I could not say for certain how I managed to find my way back to our room either, but I did so at a pace and a time that was quite impressive, if I did say so myself. It was just fortunate for me that X had been foolish enough to schedule our meeting for a day when the majority of his hired guns had been given other tasks, and I reasoned that I had an hour, at least, to grab everything that I needed for our escape, before X and his brother freed themselves from their restraints.

In the end I had been given no choice but to kill both Mr. Simmons and Mr. Warner, and it was a little alarming to me to realize that I was not all that bothered by the fact that I had done so. I ought to have killed X and Adelai as well, I knew that leaving them alive would prove to be one of the biggest mistakes that I had ever made in my life, but for some reason, in a moment of insanity, it seemed the greater cause to turn their information over to someone who could use it to capture them, and all of the others who were planning and plotting with them.

It seemed to me that I ought to know better than to trust that the powers that be would believe anything that came out of my mouth, but I had beaten and tied them up none the less, along with all of the others who had offered him their services, save for Miss Linton, of course, who I merely restrained and stripped the muscle-bound thugs of anything and everything that could be used as a weapon and was all set to leave when Miss Linton called to me from the chair that I had tied her to.

"You only have until five o'clock to make your escape, sir. Type _I see you_ into any of these keyboards and the cameras will be disabled. Key 686264 into the security system downstairs and you'll have ten minutes before the alarms go off. The code at the gate is 75461. Don't take any of the cars, they can track them, but they didn't bother to bug any of your clothes or supplies."

I could not say for certain why she had chosen to help me, but I was grateful for the information. X was able to keep his reaction to her words to himself, but Adelai was not as stealthy, and it was obvious from the look of smug satisfaction on his face, paired awkwardly with terror, that Miss Linton's words were truthful in nature. I'd nodded my thanks to her and rushed to disable the cameras, then I had made my way back to our room as quickly as possible…only to pause outside of the door, gathering what courage that I could to make my entrance.

It took a precious minute of the time that had been allotted to us, but I greedily took it for myself, and then pushed open the door after a deep, fortifying breath. Malayna was sitting on the floor, at the foot of our bed, and her eyes widened with horror while she stared at me, dumbstruck, for just an instant before they landed on my face and narrowed in anger.

"I have always hated that mask, you know."

A/N: Well…I have to be honest and say that this chapter went down a different path than what I originally intended, but I also have to say that I like the way that it went, and I hope that you enjoyed it as well. We're in the home stretch now, and winding down toward the ending, and I hope that you'll continue to stick with me. On another note, I am not even _remotely_ fluent in Spanish, and relied on an online translator for the words that I included in this chapter. I can't say for certain whether or not I made any mistakes, but if I did, I apologize.

Thanks…..Miss Mary


	23. Feel My Heat, Look Into My Eyes

Chapter Twenty-Three

Feel My Heat, Look Into My Eyes

Bane's POV

I was accustomed to survival; it was something that I had learned at a very young age, but what I was _not_ accustomed to was roughing it in the wilderness, and living the life of a mountain man. Of course, I would imagine that most tough and rugged men who called the mountains their homes did so from the cabin that they had built with their own two hands, as opposed to a tent that sagged in the middle, so I suppose that I could not actually count myself amongst their ranks, could I?

I would imagine that it would be a blow to the ego of most men, especially those who had commanded others at different times in their lives, that is, through the majority of their lives, to realize that their small female companion was better suited to, and was, in all actuality, far superior to the task of surviving in the wilderness. I knew that it was humbling, I knew that it was a crushing, shattering blow to one's ego, because that was the state that I had found myself in on a frequent basis since Malayna and I had made our escape.

We had done so with little more than the clothes that had been on our backs, though Malayna had stopped long enough to pack a bag filled to the brim with medical supplies, and another that held her albums and several files as well. Neither of us had thought about clothing, for some odd reason, nor had we taken the time to grab food or water, which necessitated us shopping for provisions at a small Mom and Pop type establishment under the cover of darkness, which we paid for with a stack of hundreds left, folded neatly, next to the cash register. I cannot say for certain why Dr. Adelai had always provided us with money, given that we had never wandered out of doors, but I was grateful that he had, because Malayna was not one who could be swayed to employ the tactic commonly referred to as a "five finger discount".

Of course, it would be our luck that the reason that the good doctor had been so generous with his monetary offerings was because he meant to keep track of us that way, but then, I was not one who put much faith in the whole concept of luck, rather good or bad, so I suppose that there really and truly was no reason why I ought to be wasting my time thinking about it at all, was there?

It was my fault that the tent was drooping in the center. I knew that it was on me, Malayna knew that it was on me, but neither of us would state this obvious fact aloud. I would not do so because my damnable pride would not allow me to vocalize it for any and all to hear. I reasoned that it was bad enough that I could not manage the mechanics of a simple tent; must I also be made to acknowledge my failing aloud as well? I was not certain why my beloved chose to remain silent on the issue, though I imagined that it bespoke volumes of her kind nature and the depths of the love that she felt for me that she did so…though she could not keep her eyes from wandering tellingly to the sagging spot time and time again.

"You might as well say it, my dear," I told her, after tiring of the sight of her eyes touching on the drooping ceiling, then traveling to me, only to return to the canvas once more. "I know that you want to tell me how I messed up, you know that you want to tell me that all that I have done of late is to make one mistake after another, so why do you not do us both a favor and get it all off of your chest, alright?"

Hmm…it might have been a mistake for me to tell her to relieve the stress of anything and everything that I had done to vex her of late, would you not agree? My intention had been that she vent about my mistake with the tent, yet the words that I had just spoken suggested that I wanted her to evaluate and dissect _everything_ that I had done that had not set well with her, and thinking back to all of the mistakes that I had made, I realized that I could be in for a long and tiring litany of sins being thrown at me like tiny, soul crushing grenades.

"I wish that you would have been honest and open with me about everything that was happening, instead of only telling me the things that you thought that I w-was strong enough to handle," she said quietly, crossing the small distance that laid between us, a space that had felt like a mile, at the very least, just moments before. "How can you possibly expect me to trust you with my past if you aren't willing to give m-me the same consideration?"

It would have been so much easier if she had chosen to launch into a tirade about the fact that I had left both Dr. Adelai _and_ X alive, I would have been prepared to defend myself as far as that topic was concerned. I knew that I could do that, because I had spent an ample amount of time composing a response to that particular attack in my mind, when I was afforded the free time to do so, but how could I possibly face the topic of my past, and who I knew my father to be, and how I did not know anything about my mother, other than the fact that she was dead? How could I tell her about any of the things that I had survived, about those who had wronged me, and those that I had harmed? I could not discuss the past with her, it was mine, and mine alone, and that was all that it was ever going to be.

"There is much about my past that I cannot remember," I told her, which was the truth, no matter how evasive it may have sounded. "And what I can recollect, I prefer to keep the majority of it to myself, because it is unlikely that you would understand what has happened to me, and what I have done, and even if you did understand, it is doubtful that you would be capable of accepting it, my dear….."

My words died away as the look on her face changed, from one that said that I ought to allow myself to open up to her, to take solace in her, and entrust her with my deepest, darkest secrets, to one that was, in a word, murderous, though, if I was to allow myself more than one descriptive, I would employ devastated and shocked as well.

"I don't know much about the sort of love that I feel for you, Bane, because this is the f-first time that I've experienced it, but I _do_ know that I was never taught how to love someone conditionally. I was taught that you don't stop caring about someone because they do, or have done, in the past, something that upsets you. True love, the sort that we're supposed to feel for one another, is something that is strong and resilient, it stays as it, just as long as you live and breathe. I don't know what it is that you feel f-for me, Bane, but I do know the love that I have for you, which is why I know that there's _nothing_ that you could possibly tell me that would make me stop….."

God, but I loved this woman, and that was why I could not let her continue to speak. I optioned instead to take her into my arms and press my lips to hers, silencing her in an instant in the most effective, and pleasant way possible. We had not had much, well; truly, we had not had _any_ time for intimacy with one another since we fled. We fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow, and when we awakened in the morning our minds were concentrated on our next move, and I could not help but shudder as I held her close, drinking her in, soaking in her warmth, and her vitality, and the open and honest depth of her feelings for me.

"Have I ever told you how fine you are to me, Malayna?" I whispered, moving my hand from her waist, in a slow caress up her stomach, over her breast, lingering on the sensitive flesh where her shoulder met with her neck, to rest gently upon her face. "I remember that I have, and I hope that you know that, and that you know that I love you just as deeply as you love me and that there is nothing that exists in this world that would change that….."

"I guess that we understand one another pretty well, then, don't we?" she murmured, turning her face, so that she could press a kiss to my palm. "We don't have to talk about the past right now, after all, there's plenty of other things that need discussing, things that are essential to the here and now, and to the future as well…but don't think that I am g-going to let this go, my love, because I don't want you hiding anything from me. I want you to trust me, and that's not possible when there are secrets standing between us."

I could not stop the deep inhalation, then exhalation, that bespoke of my relief, though I could not say with any certainty _why_ I was reassured, not when the task of formulating a viable plan for unveiling X's scheme laid partially on my shoulders, more than some small measure, as a matter of fact, because I deserved to be the one made to be accountable, not Malayna. She was an innocent in so many ways, and it was inconceivable that any part of the treachery or the cloak of villainy should be made to rest upon her shoulders.

"Tell me something, my dear," I asked, leading her over to our makeshift bed and pulling her down to rest beside me. "Were you at all acquainted with James Gordon while he was in residence in the hospital during my, shall we say, _reign of terror _over Gotham City?"

I saw her wince, and was heartened by the fact that she cared for my feelings, though nothing that I had said was too harsh, not when you took into consideration all that I had done. "Of course I was," she said, smiling at me as I gently pulled the rubber band that she had placed on the end of her ponytail from her hair. "I was one of his main caregivers."

Well, that was good news, some of the first that had been handed our way for some time, as a matter of fact. "I think that our best option is for you to approach him and see if he would be willing to meet with me to discuss what I have learned in our time with our captors," I said, picturing the Commissioner in my mind. There was no doubt that he would just as soon slice open his own throat with a dull, rusty blade as opposed to hearing anything that I had to say, but maybe he would be more receptive if Malayna spoke with him first.

"Why should I be the one to speak with him, if such a meeting could even be arranged?" she asked quietly, in a tone of voice that suggested that she was doing her best not to anger me, which, of course, had the opposite effect on me. "I don't know anything about the plans that X and Dr. Adelai have in store for everyone, so what use would I be….?"

"Apparently you are unaware of the particulars of my last meeting with Commissioner Gordon," I said, throwing back her hair, which I had been smoothing, in lieu of searching out her brush to detangle it properly. "I, however, remember the instant perfectly, and I can assure you that he would just as soon tear me limb from limb with his own two hands, if that was his only other option to sitting down and speaking to me one-on-one, my dear, so, as you can see, you meeting with him instead is the best option, the only option, would you not agree?"

She looked up at me in a way that made me feel lower than low, as if I had kicked her as I stood, or called her a vile and filthy name, and that made me even angrier than I already was, and I knew that it was childish of me to stomp out of the tent the way that I did, but it seemed to me the best course of action for me to take at that moment, before I did, or said something that we would both regret. There was already so much of my life that I regretted, why would I want to add anything more to the list?

Malayna's POV

He was mad at me again, but that didn't surprise me. It wasn't that he made a habit of losing his temper and storming off, but everyone had a point that they could be pushed to, and if they were moved beyond that position they were going to blow their top, and that was what had happened with Bane. The thing that I couldn't wrap my head around was what I had done to anger him this time, because I couldn't think of one thing that I had said or done that could have incited his temper, unless having a different opinion was enough to set him off now, and if that was the case then we were in for a lot of disagreements, because I wasn't about to live a life where I never opened my mouth to speak unless it was harmonious with each and every thing that he said.

The day was growing later and he still hadn't returned, but I knew that he'd be back before dark, and he'd be tired and hungry, so I made a small fire in the circle of stones that he'd arranged for me and placed the cooking tripod over the flames. The nights were steadily growing colder, and I knew that a pot of beef stew would hit the spot. It would have been a lot better with some good stew meat, but that sort of thing wasn't feasible without a refrigerator, or some meat that had been canned at home, and I had to make do with some tinned beef instead. It neither looked nor smelled all that appetizing, but it would have to do. I just hoped that the potatoes and carrots that I added would help it to taste good, or, at the very least, edible.

The stew was starting to bubble in the Dutch oven and smelled surprisingly good, and I moved on to righting the roof of the tent, so that it wouldn't sag in the middle. It was something that I had put off as long as I could, because I knew that it bothered Bane that he'd made a mistake when he'd assembled our shelter, but now that he was gone I could fix it without worrying about him glaring at me the entire time. I suppose that it was a blow to his ego, to know that there were some things that I could do better than him, but I wasn't going to wait for a good rain to come along and encourage the roof to cave in completely, just to soothe his masculine pride.

I'd just finished the chore of putting our shelter to right, and was in the process of fixing my hair into a ponytail when I felt a shiver of warning make itself known on the back of my neck. It had been said that when a person was deprived of one of their senses the others became amplified to compensate for the loss, and the strongest for me was my sixth sense, the one that alerted me of danger, and I knew that I wasn't alone in the tent any longer. I stilled my body, readying myself to attack the one who was stalking me, but he was too fast, and too strong, and he grabbed hold of me and pulled me bodily out of the tent before I could do anything to protect myself.

His arms were like vises holding me tight, but I was bound and determined to fight, and amazingly enough I managed to move my body back and forth while I kicked and clawed and screamed like a wildcat. He carried me across the camp, toward a large tree that had been stripped clean of all of its bark and I waited for him to slam me against it, to do God only knows what to me...but then I caught a hint of his scent, the one that was so familiar to me, and I forced my fear back while I concentrated on the feel of his arms and his hands, and the chest that was resting against my back and I went limp with relief, and then surged back to life as my temper kicked into high gear.

"You n-nearly scared the l-life out of me, Bane!" I hissed, throwing my weight back against him in a pathetic attempt to make him turn loose of me. "What's the idea of grabbing hold of me like that? I thought that someone had found us; I thought that X had sent one of his damned g-goons after us! I don't like being scared; you know that, d-don't….."

My words ended with an _oomph_ as he turned and pressed me against the tree with a bit more force than he normally would have used. He wasn't rough with me, but there was something in his eyes that told me that he had no intention of treating me like a fragile and delicate flower. He'd lost a good deal of his muscle mass following his near-death experience, but he'd regained all of his strength and was a force to be reckoned with once more, and I'd never been more aware of that fact than I was at that moment, being held at his mercy.

"What are you doing, Bane?" I asked warily, my anger slowly turning to apprehension, and, bewilderingly enough, to arousal as well. There was a time when I would have been disgusted by the notion that I would be excited by a feeling of helplessness, but that was a time when my ability to survive had been the only thing that had belonged solely to me, and I'd never known desire, or the all-consuming love for a man.

"Hush, my dear," he said, his eyes searching mine feverishly. He was holding me against the tree, with his hands resting on my backside and one of those hands moved up to the back of my head and pulled me forward so he could kiss me. His mouth was hungry, and it would seem that a taste of me was what he wanted, but it wasn't enough to satiate him, if anything it seemed to fuel him further. He lifted me higher on the tree with one hand and literally tore my t-shirt and my bra from my body with the other, baring my breasts, before he latched his mouth onto my nipples, first one, then the other, until I gripped his head, hard, with my hands and cried out his name.

I smiled and leaned my head back against the tree, my eyes half-closed, running my fingertips through his hair while his mouth moved back and forth, slowly licking, then suckling, and finally gently biting each aching bit of flesh. I marveled that he could hold me so effortlessly with just one hand, and I was in equal awe of the enthusiasm of his touch and his embrace. My own arousal grew by leaps and bounds in response to him, until I was writhing and whimpering, and he released the hold of his mouth and moved me even further up that tree, until my thighs were resting on his shoulders, and he slipped his hands into the waistband of my pants and my underwear and tore them off of my body, freeing my legs for just a moment so that he could pull my clothing down, and then off of them, and then returned them to his shoulders, and I blushed, then shivered with delight when I looked down and saw his head nestled between my thighs.

"Y-you don't have to d-do that, Bane," I said, in a voice that I knew was quiet and breathy in nature. "I m-mean, I-I-I, w-want you to, but you don't have to….."

I don't know why I was suddenly feeling so shy with him. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that he'd made love to me this way, but for some reason I felt very self-conscious…and as turned-on as a woman could possibly be. Maybe it was because it was broad daylight, and I was pressed against a tree, very naked and very vulnerable. Or maybe it was because he was so swept up in his need for me, and I wasn't certain that I would be able to handle the onslaught of passion that he intended to bestow upon me, but when he looked up at me, and I saw the heat and determination that was evident in his eyes I knew that my hesitations were futile, at best, because he was determined to have me this way, and if the truth were to be known, I was eager to be taken, so much so that I would have been willing to beg him, had he chosen to hesitate.

"You are wrong, my love," he said, turning his head to kiss one thigh, then the other, his touch feather soft and gentle, right up until the point when he nipped my flesh with his teeth. "I _do_ have to do this, because it is what I want, and it is what you want, and even more than that, it is what we both need, that and more, so I will tell you to hush once more, and ask that you simply allow yourself to feel, and to enjoy, and not to utter another word, unless it is one that is spoken in passion, of course."

He was so conceited at times, but I loved him with a fierceness none the less. That didn't stop me from feeling a determination to deny him the pleasure of hearing me let loose with a single sound born in passion, and I was successful in that endeavor until the tip of his tongue touched my wet and swollen center and traveled upward, to swirl around my clitoris and draw it between his lips to suckle and then I let loose with a cry of his name that undoubtedly reverberated all throughout the forest, and possibly even further, maybe for miles.

He teased and tormented me until my throat ached from screaming and then he lowered me down the tree, hurriedly wrenching open his pants, so that he could guide me onto his hardened flesh, and I wished that I could hear the sound that he made at that moment, because he closed his eyes tight and his throat and chest moved, once, then twice. He clutched me close to his chest, holding me as tight as he could, while his hips began a rhythm that was fierce and determined in nature and he loved me in a way that had me crying out with each and every fevered stroke.

Wave after wave of release seized hold of me, until I couldn't do anything but cling to him weakly, my hands running up and down his back, urging and encouraging him to continue, until he found his own pleasure while tears streamed forth from my eyes, to trace their way down my cheeks. I thought that he would keep his face hidden from me the whole time, but seconds before he stiffened, then shuddered, he moved back so that he could look at me, his eyes holding fast to mine while he came apart against me, holding me captive to the last moment, then he leaned forward and kissed me softly, shivering in my arms, before he moved his mouth to my cheeks, and soothed away my tears with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh, this could be bad, my dear," he said, kissing me again and again, soft and sweet kisses that I loved, the sort that made me feel warm and safe.

"What could be bad?" I asked sleepily. "What are you talking about?"

He smiled at me, a boyish grin that I rarely saw, which made it my favorite sort. "What I mean to say is that I may have found an incentive for picking a fight with you, if this is the outcome that I can expect for doing so, and surely that is a bad thing, is it not?"


	24. Mea Maxima Culpa

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mea Maxima Culpa

Bane's POV

I thought that I was finished with slacks and button-down shirts on the day that Malayna and I escaped the clutches of X and his minions, but obviously I had been mistaken in that belief. I had relished the notion of never having to knot another tie around my neck, or having to place my feet within the confines of a pair of wingtip shoes, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and I was wise enough to know that a man like James Gordon would respond favorably to a request for a meeting with a man who looked reputable, as opposed to one who looked like the terrorist that he truly was, or, rather, that he had been, hence the necessity that I clothe myself in the garments that I loathed.

Gordon's domicile was painfully neat and austere in appearance, a dwelling which clearly lacked the softening hints of a woman's touch, but I knew better than to voice that observation aloud. I had never been married, nor had I ever fathered any children, but I could easily imagine how devastated I would be if Malayna were to leave me, especially if she did so with children that we had made, and it was no wonder that he seemed to take comfort and solace in nothing other than his work. What was there to live for, other than that which occupied your time and your weary mind, when all else had fled from you?

"Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. O'Connor?"

It took me a moment to realize that he was speaking to me, and it dawned on me that the alias that I had chosen for myself, which had initially seemed so clever, was, in all actuality, quite ridiculous. "No, thank you, Commissioner," I said, straightening in my chair and shifting back and forth in an effort to find a position that was at least marginally comfortable in the clothing that I was wearing. "I try to abstain from consuming caffeine; it tends to make me fidgety."

Why could I not decline his offer with a simple _no? _Why did I feel that it was necessary to justify my refusal, and, what was more than that, why did I have to do so by mentioning that the beverage made me _fidgety_? I had sought a meeting with him on the premise that I possessed information that was invaluable to the survival of not only Gotham City, but of the entire world, and it was liable to make him nervous, and to possibly impair my credibility, if he thought of me as someone who was prone to anxiety, was it not?

"I know what you mean," he said, taking a seat in the chair that was opposite to mine at the table. "But I can't think of any other way to make it through the day. I guess that's the one thing that cops and doctors have in common, the need to chug down five pots of coffee every day, just to keep going. It's just too bad that my _salary_ isn't what I share with a doctor."

He chuckled after he spoke, and I took that as a cue that I should laugh as well, though the sound that emanated from me sounded unnatural, and I hoped that he would not notice the difference and take offense. I needed the lines of communication between us to be open and as civil as possible, if I hoped to succeed with this intervention, and coming off as a discourteous jackass was bound to hinder my intentions.

"Well, now that we have the formalities out of the way, what do you say that we get down to the brass tacks?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and taking a small sip from his steaming cup, sighing appreciatively before he set it down on the tabletop. "You were pretty damned cryptic in your message, and I ought to have had a roomful of officers waiting to take you into custody, but I'm intrigued by your story none the less, Mr. O'Connor, and that's why I agreed to give you half an hour to convince me that you're telling me the truth…though you're actually down to twenty minutes now."

He did not believe that I had any information that amounted to anything of importance. He was simply toying with me, and that infuriated me, but I forced myself to remain calm. "I presume that you are aware that there was a kidnapping from Gotham City General Hospital a few months ago, is that correct, Commissioner?"

Ah, _now_ I had his attention. "Of course I know about that," he said, his eyes meeting mine and narrowing with what I assumed was suspicion. "Those animals sprang that maniac Bane free and took Malayna Bishop as well. God only knows what's become of her at the hands of a bunch of madmen. Why would you ask me about that? What does that have to do with the information that you claim to have?"

I knew that he regarded me as an _animal_ as well, just as I knew that he considered me a madman, but who could blame him for that estimation? I certainly could not fault him for thinking so harshly of me, given his last meeting with me, and the part that I had played in Gotham's baptism by fire. That being said, I could not help but feel insulted by the insinuation that something awful would have befallen her at the hands of her captors, or, more directly, because of _me_. I would never hurt Malayna, I would just as soon be destroyed than to cause her pain, but how was James Gordon to know that? What was worse was the fact that even if I told him, he would not believe me, and I could not blame him for that either.

I opened the folder that I had brought with me and laid a picture on the table in front of me. "This man calls himself Dr. Adelai, and he is the one who led the raid on the hospital. I cannot say what his true identity is with any certainty, other than the fact that he is the brother of the mastermind behind this plot, a man who I know only as X."

Gordon slid the photo across the table and looked it over carefully before setting it down in front of him. "What do you know of Miss Bishop?" he asked. "How does she fare, after all of this time? Please tell me that someone has put that dog, Bane, down once and for all."

At one time my discipline had been absolute, it had commanded and guided me through each and every obstacle that was thrown my way, but I had grown lax since all that I had known had been turned upside-down, and my lack of restraint showed itself in my hands as they slowly tightened upon the folder that I was holding, nearly rending it in two before I remembered myself, and forced a deep breath through my nose, to flood my lungs, so that I might regain some semblance of control over my thoughts and emotions.

"Miss Bishop has not been harmed in any way, nor will she ever be mistreated, Commissioner," I said tightly, reaching into my pocket to pull out a disposable cell phone, one which we had purchased and activated that morning, which had a camera as one of its features, one that had served well to take a photo of her holding the local newspaper, so that Gordon could see that she was indeed alive and well. "As for Bane, well, let us just say that he will not be a problem for you any longer."

I do not know why I did not tell him that I had been killed. It would have been the easiest thing, to tell that lie, and have myself dead and buried and hopefully forgotten by all of those who hated me, but for some odd reason I was not capable of speaking those words aloud. Maybe it was because I had finally found something, some_one_ who I wanted to live for, not that my speaking of my "death" would have made me any less alive than I was.

"This photo serves the purpose of a proof of life, right down to the newspaper, but that smile on her face gives the indication that she isn't the least bit scared of the one taking the picture," Gordon said, raising his eyes from the screen to my face, staring at me in a way that made me want to look away from him, but I did not dare to do so, lest I reveal myself to him completely. "Were you the one who was taking the picture, Mr. O'Connor, and, if so, who are you to Miss Bishop? I can garner that you're someone she's fond of, given the way that she's smiling in this photograph, but that doesn't tell me anything about you, and it doesn't give me reason to trust you either."

Malayna _was_ fond of me; I knew that she was, in spite of the voices that whispered within me, hateful things, words which threatened to drive me mad. I knew that she loved me, that she was _in_ love with me. I was her beloved and she was mine. She was the woman who was so very fine to me, and I was the man who filled that spot in her heart, who had secreted a place for myself in the recesses of her soul. It was an uplifting realization, one which bolstered me on a daily basis to continue to fight, but it terrified me as well, because I knew how fragile that bond was, and the idea that something or someone might sever it was enough to send my senses reeling out of control.

"I was the one who took the photo, and yes, Malayna is quite fond of me, as I am of her, but the tenor of our relationship is not the topic that is of importance in this conversation, Commissioner. All that you need to know is that I am the man who was approached to aid in the completion of the lunacy that X refers to as his 'plan for global domination'. And you ought to trust me, I would think, considering that I have risked a great deal to smuggle these plans to you in the hope that you would throw whatever resources that you have in your possession into stopping and capturing….."

"Your voice is changed, without the mask, it's not nearly as menacing as it was down in the sewers, but I recognize it anyway," Gordon said softly, his words killing mine as efficiently as a single shot behind the ear would end either of our lives. "And your eyes are still the same, even though they are different, if that makes any sense at all."

I tried to laugh, but the sound died in my throat. "I am afraid that you have mistaken me for someone else, Commissioner," I said, hating the hint of nervousness that I could hear in my voice. "Today is the first day of our acquaintance, though I hope that it will not be the last….."

"'Your weakness has cost the life of three others'." That was what you said before you crushed the larynx of the first man. "'Search him, then I will kill you.'" That was the order that you gave the second man, was it not…Bane?"

His memory was good, but that did not surprise me, though it did muddy the waters of any further negotiations…as did the looming shadow that fell across me, one which belonged to someone who seemed vaguely familiar to me, though it was not possible that he had continued to live, was it?

"It is not the policy of the United States government to negotiate with terrorist scum like you, and it sure as _hell_ isn't something that I'm fond of either," Gordon said, his eyes sparking at me angrily for just a moment, and then something hard crashed into the back of my skull, and everything went pitch black all around me as my head crashed against the table.

Malayna's POV

Darkness was falling across the parking lot of the dinky motel where we had acquired a room, and there was no sign to be seen of Bane, and he should have been back hours ago. I could not hear the sounds from the room that was next door to ours, but judging by the way that the tacky paint by numbers landscape was bouncing on the wall I had a pretty good idea that there was some raucous, headboard banging sex going on between the occupants, and I envied them, if only for a moment.

I stared at the line of cars until I couldn't see them any longer and then I started to pace the floor, methodically placing one foot in front of the other and moving from one side of the room to the other. Tears welled in my eyes and threatened to fall, but I wouldn't let them flow. To cry would be to admit that he was lost to me, to give in to the notion that something awful had happened to him, and I refused to allow myself that moment of weakness, no matter how brief. I had to keep faith within my heart that he was fine, that he would come back to me, because he was all that I had in this world, and I just couldn't accept the notion of giving him up, not when he'd been mine for such a short time.

The room was chilly and I fiddled with the heater in a futile attempt to warm myself, but the damned thing was determined not to cooperate with me, no matter how I threatened it and cursed its existence. I thought that I had fixed it twice, but both times I'd been sadly mistaken and I was all set to give up altogether when suddenly the door to the room burst open and the rain soaked wind filled the room and made goose bumps break out all over my body…then they multiplied, and were accompanied by a shiver of fear, as a dark shape entered uninvited.

He slowly walked toward me, shutting the door behind himself, and I retreated from him, until my back was pressed against the wall and I was fighting to keep the terrified whimper that was rising in my throat at bay. It couldn't be him, it just wasn't possible. He'd died that day, he'd sacrificed himself, to save all of Gotham City, whether they deserved it or not, so how was it possible that he was standing in our motel room?

My mind was reeling from the sight of him, and then I remembered that Bane hadn't returned yet, and I had a sudden, and horrifying vision of him having a face-to-face meeting with his old foe, and I couldn't keep myself from imagining that he was late because the man decked out all in black had detained him by hurting him, possibly even killing him, until I forced myself to remember that murder wasn't the Batman's style.

He didn't stop until he was standing right in front of me and I was taken aback by the fact that he wasn't nearly as tall as I'd expected him to be. He was an imposing figure, there was no doubt about that, but there was a kindness that showed itself in his dark eyes, despite the grim set of his mouth. There was a time that I would have been giddy in this moment, in meeting someone who I'd admired from afar, but now it just frightened me.

"Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you."

His mouth slowly shaped each word, in a way that said that he'd been told that I was deaf, and again, my mind leapt to Bane, though this time my feelings weren't nearly as grim, because there was a good possibility that he was fine, if he'd told Batman about me, including where I was, because who else could have told him?

"I d-didn't think that you would h-hurt me," I said, knowing, and hating, that my voice was shaky, and undoubtedly soft and timid as well, when I would have preferred to sound strong and sure. "But I'm not as sure about w-whether or not Bane would receive the same consideration from you."

His eyes flashed angrily, and a muscle in his jaw tightened at the mention of my beloved's name, and that burst of hope that had filled me just moments before left me in an instant. "Where is h-he?" I asked angrily, all of my fear forgotten when I thought, again, on the possibility that he'd been hurt. "W-what have you done with him?"

There was another flare of his temper, and I watched his hands curl into fists at his side, watched them tense and relax again and again, but I was not afraid of him. I knew that he wouldn't physically hurt me; I knew that doing so was the last thing that he'd ever consider. He was simply trying to control his temper and the flex and release of his hands was his way of working out his anger without causing harm to another.

"He is being watched, and no harm has come to him," he told me, after several moments had passed by. "He won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon, Miss Bishop. You're safe now, there's nothing more for you to fear, now that he is caught….."

"I w-was already safe, you idiot," I said angrily. "I had nothing to f-fear, not so long as he was with me, but that's all changed now, hasn't it? He went to James Gordon because we needed help. This is all m-my fault…he wanted me t-to go, he asked me to g-go, but he wasn't going to beg, was he? I should have gone to see the Commissioner…it's all m-my fault….."

I was furious, but I was devastated as well, and I wanted, more than anything, to cry my eyes out, but I'd be damned if I'd give into that urge in front of _him_. Why hadn't I just agreed to be the one to speak to Gordon? Why had I insisted that he be the one to make that move? Granted, he was the one who knew the outline of X's plan, but I could have winged a presentation, couldn't I? I could have helped him, the way that he'd asked me to…..

"It wouldn't have mattered, even if he'd met with you instead, because we would have followed you, and you would have led us back to him, Miss Bishop," he said, all hints of his own temper leaving him, despite the fact that I'd called him an idiot. "Why do you feel the need to protect him, to defend him? Don't you realize that this plan that he's unveiled belongs solely to him? He failed once before, he ought to be used to that sort of thing by now, and the powers that be here in Gotham will make sure that there's never any chance for him to hurt us again."

I'd always admired Batman, I'd kept my belief in his goodness, even when others had given up on him, but it seemed that I'd been wrong, because how could he be the man I'd believed him to be if he allowed prejudice to cloud his ability to tell the difference between what was right and what was wrong? Why couldn't he see the truth in what Bane had shared? How far would he take this? Was he truly willing to sacrifice the wellbeing of each and every last person on Earth to prove that my beloved would never be more than who he'd been?

"He's protected and d-defended me, and that's why I'll do the s-same for him," I said, stepping away from the wall, to confront him face-to-face, so that he could read each and every emotion that was in my eyes. "And the life of every person on this planet is in danger if you continue to ignore what _X_ has in store for us. I know the man that Bane was, I lived through the same time that everyone else in Gotham endured, but he _is not_ that man any longer. He has changed, and he is trying to do what is right, no matter what the cost to him might be….."

"You love him, don't you?" he shaped, interrupting me mid-tirade, and I can see that there was anger in his eyes once more, but now there was sadness as well, along with pity. "I suppose that I can add that to his list of crimes, can't I?"

Why was love suddenly a crime? I was an adult, I wasn't a child, and Bane hadn't forced me to accept him the way that I had. He was my beloved and I was his, we were precious and fine to one another. We were friends and we were lovers, he was the other half of my soul, and I believed that I was his. How could such a thing be wrong?

"I could try to explain what we feel for one another, but y-you wouldn't understand. You don't even speak the same language that we do, so how could I hope to make you see that he hasn't done anything criminal in loving me or accepting my love? You only see what you want to see….."

"I see a victim, and that makes me angry," he shaped. "And I mentioned his list of crimes because there's nothing worse that he could do than to coerce you into caring for him. He's done countless things that are unspeakable, and as such it ought to be the consensus that he's despised, but he managed to make you think and feel otherwise, and that has to be his cruelest and most ruthless crime. I just wish that there was some way to make you see, and believe that, Miss Bishop."

I shook my head at him and tried to laugh, but it got caught in my throat on the way out. "Save your pity for yourself, and everyone else in this world, because we are all doomed if his warnings go unheeded, and I hope that your prejudices will give you solace in those final moments…because I can promise you that nothing else will."


	25. The Sinners Crawl

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Sinners Crawl

Malayna's POV

I liked to believe that I was a reasonable woman most of the time, I liked to think that I was levelheaded, and that I was kind and willing to work with anyone to accomplish that which needed to be done, but all of that had changed when Bane had been taken prisoner by those whose help he had sought. Suddenly I was a thoroughly _un_reasonable woman, one who was rash, and discourteous and demanding and unwilling to do anything at all to aid our new captors, not without laying out some terms of my own, that is.

"I need you to speak to me, Miss Bishop," James Gordon shaped, taking the time to form his words slowly and precisely, so that I wouldn't miss anything that he said. "I was always under the impression that you couldn't talk at all, because you never chose to while you were taking care of me, but the Batman assures me that you can, so….."

"You assumed that I was d-dumb, in addition to being deaf, is that what you're saying?" I asked, silently cursing the stumble in my speech, then looking behind the Commissioner, to the figure that was cloaked in shadows. "No, I've always been able to s-speak, when I wanted to, but I chose a life of silence until Bane encouraged me to find my voice again."

He leaned back in his chair and took a drink from the cup of coffee that never seemed to leave his side. "You speak very well, Miss Bishop, for one who chose not to use their voice for so long. You say that Bane encouraged you. Would you care to expand on that a little? Could you give me an example of the manner in which he would _persuade _you?"

I switched my glare from the Bat to the man who sat in front of him, my lip curling in time with the tightening of my hands into fists at my sides. He was insinuating that Bane had used force to encourage me to do exactly as he'd bidden, that much was clear and certain and it enraged me to bear witness to his character being maligned so grievously.

"He showed me that I could trust him," I answered, speaking through teeth that were tightly clenched. "And that's all that I have to say about that, Commissioner. As a matter of fact, I'm n-not going to say another word to you until I'm taken to see Bane with my own two eyes, so that I will know that no harm has come to him. He needs his medication, and he needs to know that I am here to help him, so I want to be taken to him at once."

He raised his eyebrows at me, not in a way that was mocking in nature, but one that set my teeth on edge none the less, not that they needed any help in that area. "We weren't informed that he needed medication of any kind, Miss Bishop, but if you will tell us what he needs, and what dose we ought to administer, we'll be happy to take care of that for you."

So that was the way that he was going to approach me, was it? Apparently he saw the woman that I had been, the little mouse, as Bane had thought of me, someone who was meek and mild and scared of her own shadow, as opposed to the woman that I had become, the one who was aggressive and strong and ready, willing and able to fight whomever I had to, to ensure that Bane wasn't harmed. I was the Mama Bear in every way, only it wasn't my cub I was guarding, it was my man, and I pitied anyone who tried to hurt him whenever I was around, because it would be their final act before they left this Earth.

"I am aware that a good amount of time has p-passed by since his last injury, but perhaps you will recall that it was a grievous, one that he barely survived, and as such he still requires care and medication from a t-trained professional, that being _me_, Commissioner. I have his medication in my possession and I will be the one who administers it to him, not some stranger that he doesn't trust, and who more than likely could care less w-whether he lives or dies."

When I looked at James Gordon I remembered the man that I had cared for during his time in the hospital, I recalled his kindness and his gentlemanly nature, and that was why it pained me to speak to him the way that I was, but not enough to shut me up. I don't know how much of his animosity toward Bane was due to his own experiences, and how much was because of the influence of the Batman, but I couldn't play nice, and act like things were still the way that they'd once been, when they were now so drastically different.

"What do the personal feelings of his caretakers have to do with his wellbeing?" Batman asked quietly, moving forward, into the light, so that it fell upon his face. "Are you saying that you believe he will fare better with you, Miss Bishop, because you _love_ him? Surely you know better than to believe that, don't you?"

"Mark Twain said, "'Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,'" I replied, fighting against my baser urge to tell him what I thought of him. Why should I behave that way when it was just as easy, and in the long run, was more rewarding and satisfying, to keep my temper in check?

"And what does that mean to someone like Bane?" he asked, refusing to back down even an inch. "I doubt that he even has a concept what kindness is, and even if he has heard of it, I seriously doubt that he cares….."

"Leo Buscaglia said, " 'Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around,'" I continued, choking back a laugh when I saw his brown eyes darken even further with his temper.

"And there are people who can't get past what he did to this city, so how do you expect for them to be able to tend to his needs as if he'd never wronged them? This city is still healing, Miss Bishop, and it's highly unlikely that they will feel anything but animosity toward this man, no matter how much time passes, no matter how much you think that he's _changed_."

"'Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not'…Samuel Johnson," I said, more to myself than to anyone else, though I was certain that both of them had heard me just fine. This was a part of life that Bane must have been happy to leave behind, even if nothing else about our former place of forced residence had pleased him, this knowledge that the world loathed him, and wanted him dead ha to have been nice to leave behind. I knew that it would have been nearly impossible for me to continue on with life if I knew something like that, and I was thankful that he was made of stronger stuff than I was.

"You sound like you swallowed a book of quotations," he said, the corner of his mouth curving with what might have been a smile. "Do you have any words of wisdom of your own to enlighten us with, or do you always depend of something that someone else has already said better than you'd ever be able to?"

He was trying to provoke me, I could see that plain as day, but I'd be damned if I'd give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd managed to heighten my anger. "My life was filled w-with nothing but kindness until I lost my hearing, and that was when I learned the p-potential for cruelty of those around me. I had love and compassion from my g-grandmother, until she died, but not much at all afterwards, until Bane and I were taken from the hospital. I'm not saying that he's perfect, or that he's blameless, but I will say that he r-responded more favorably to my care when he was still in the hospital than he did to the others, and I believe it was because they m-made no secret of the fact that the only reason they wanted him to live was for the huge paychecks."

"So the money wasn't a draw for you as well? It made no difference to you at all? I have to say that I find that hard to believe, Miss Bishop….."

"Believe whatever y-you want to," I told him, hoping that my voice conveyed the loathing that I felt toward him that grew stronger with each moment that passed us by. "I couldn't care less what you think about m-me. I just want to take care of him, p-please. He needs me and I need him, whether you accept that or not, no matter h-how much it might disgust you, it's the truth….."

"You will be watched at all times, and if I think that something fishy is going on you will be forbidden to see him altogether, Miss Bishop," the Commissioner said, concentrating his attention solely on me, though it was obvious that Batman was making his protestations known. "I'm doing this because you took care of me when I needed someone the most. The others nurses saw to my every need, but there weren't many who went above and beyond, and you were one of them, the best of them, and I owe you my thanks for that…please don't make me regret this, Malayna."

* * *

They both escorted me down the corridor outside of the Commissioner's office, and toward the cells where the prisoners were being housed. There was one area that was cordoned off for those who were the least likely to unleash mayhem on anyone, then there were the ones which were obviously intended for the more dangerous criminals…and then there was the ward that Bane apparently had all to himself, with his cell located at the end of the hall, which was lit by bulbs that blinked on and off in a rhythm that I was certain was accompanied by a loud, annoying, buzzing sound.

The door of his cell was solid, with a window that allowed me to look in at him, and my heart clenched painfully at the sight that met my eyes. He was doing pushups in a methodical manner, and had been doing so long enough that his shirt was soaked through with sweat up and down his spine…and he was wearing a mask, the sort that people use when the flu season is in full swing.

"Why is he w-wearing that mask?" I asked angrily, turning to look first at Batman, then at the Commissioner. "Does it make it easier on you to treat him b-badly, if he looks like the man who terrorized Gotham, as opposed to the man that reached out to you to s-save us all?"

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned back to look at the Bat. "He insisted that we give him the mask, Miss Bishop. Maybe it makes it easier for him to be in our presence, if he looks like himself, even if he isn't quite as menacing as he used to be. I don't know whether or not he meant to save anyone, we're still looking into that, but I'd advise you to learn the facts before you start throwing accusations around."

I suppose that I ought to have answered him, to have said _something_, but Gordon had unlocked the door and stood aside, to allow me entrance inside Bane's cell, and my need to see him, to be near him, was too strong to have me linger one moment longer in that hallway, trading quips and insults with a man in a bat costume. I slowly made my way inside, clinging tightly to the bag that held all of his medications, wanting, more than anything, to run to him and throw my arms around him.

I stopped in front of him and felt uneasy, standing over him, so I squatted down, hoping that he would look up at me, but he continued with his exercise, as if he didn't see me at all. Now that I was close to him, I could see that there was sweat running down his face, which was red against the pale blue of his mask, and I knew that he was pushing himself too far.

"Bane, honey, you need to stop this," I said, reaching out my hand, to lay it tentatively on his shoulder. "You've done enough for today. It's time for you to rest and to take your medication."

His body continued to rise and fall for five more repetitions, and I was beginning to think that he meant to ignore me, but then he lifted one hand off of the floor and reached up to take hold of my arm. His touch was hard and punishing to begin with, enough that it made me wince, but then it gentled, and became a caress, before he slowly lowered his body to rest upon the floor. I saw that his mask was moving and knew that he was speaking, but I couldn't see his words and started to ask him what he'd said, but then he moved toward me and pressed his head into my lap, and I forgot everything, and everyone, and ran my fingers through his hair, soothing him as best as I could.

Bane's POV

"I knew that you would come, my dear. My past insisted that you would not do so, not now, that you had been given the opportunity to flee, but here you are just the same. You really do love me, do you not?"

No response.

Of course, I had not expected her to answer me. How could she possibly do so if she could not read my lips? It was not feasible for one who was deaf to even know that you had spoken to them if you were wearing a mask, but that did not matter right then. The only thing that was important to me was to move closer to her, to push down on her until she was sitting on the floor, and to rest my head in her lap. I had been concentrated on physically pushing myself as hard as I could, determined to keep my mind and body occupied, until she was there with me again…in the hope that she would be with me again.

We had not been separated from one another for very long, but it may as well have been days, possibly weeks, months perhaps, maybe even years and I kept a tight hold on her as I pulled myself off of the floor. She had become my anchor in life, one that kept me grounded in the reality of what was right and I could feel myself drawing away from the chaos that had taken hold of me when Gordon and the Batman had turned the tables on me, back toward the peace and purpose that I had found in her arms.

"She's brought your medication for you," the Commissioner said from the doorway. "I'll give you half an hour with one another, and then you and I need to have another talk. We'll be waiting right outside the door. Be sure to bear that in mind, just in case you get a notion to be a bit more touchy-feely than you ought to be."

I had almost forgotten that they were there, watching us, and his voice was like a splash of cold water raining down upon me. Thirty minutes with one another, it may as well have been half a minute instead, because I knew that the time would fly by in an instant. I needed more time to feel her arms around me, to feel her hands on my back and her lips on my face. I needed three hours, at the very least, but I knew that there would be no negotiating with the veteran police officer…nor with the one who was pretending to be the Batman.

Bruce Wayne was dead, I knew that as well as I knew that Talia was gone forever, save for that small piece of her that survived, and tormented me, from my memories. This Bat was a younger man, one who was quick to anger and who had taken a good deal more enjoyment in rattling my brains about in my skull than he ought to have. I suppose that his presence was necessary, I suppose that the people of Gotham needed a symbol to protect and inspire them, since they seemed to be incapable of doing so for themselves, but I was personally sick of the sight and sound of him.

"Leave us," I said, moving to sit down upon the floor, so that I could hold my beloved in my arms. "A half-hour is a paltry amount of time, and I wish to spend each and every moment solely with Malayna, if you please."

I had a good idea that my words had not pleased either one of them, but the Commissioner had lived long enough to know that it was best to keep quiet, while the young Batman had not come to that same conclusion. In the end it did not matter, because Gordon left the room, dragging the Bat out behind him, and finally I was alone with the one that I loved, well, as alone as we could be, that is.

I felt her hands on my face and closed my eyes when she slipped her fingers beneath the bands that were holding the paper mask on my face and smiled at her as she pulled it free, then tossed it aside. It was a joke, something that I had done in an effort to make the Batman and the Commissioner uneasy, but now it was a hindrance, an obstacle, one that kept me from kissing her lips, from tasting her as I needed to, and I was not the least bit sad to see it go.

"Hello, my dear Malayna," I whispered, running my fingers through her hair, smoothing it back away from her face. "I have missed you so very much, my love."

She smiled at me and rubbed her face against my palms, first one cheek, and then the other. "I missed you too," she said, taking my hands and placing them on her waist. "I asked to see you at once, but my pleas didn't hold much sway with either of your jailers, I'm afraid."

She wanted to kiss me, I could see her desire as clear as day in the depths of her eyes, and I wanted her to do so, truth be told, I _needed_ her to do so, but there was business that needed to be done before we gave in to our longings. There was a school of thought that said that we could embrace first, and indulge in one another, and tend to my need for my medication afterwards, but I was wise enough to know that we had to see to the unpleasantness first, because there would be no way that I would want to stop once my lips met hers. As a matter of fact, I had every intention of making them separate us physically, because that was the only way that I would let her go.

* * *

"Are you feeling better?"

I looked up from the table that I had been studying and saw the Commissioner watching me from the doorway, with a plain ceramic cup in one hand and a stack of files in the other. "Well as can be, thank you for your concern."

"We did some digging after we found you, and it took a hell of a lot of manpower and research, but we think that we might have found the men that you refer to as "X" and "Dr. Adelai"," Gordon said, sitting down across from me, nursing his cup of coffee as he looked at me, first at my face, then at my shackled hands, before he moved his eyes to my face once more.

He slid a picture across the table and I leaned forward to study it. There were two men standing side by side, arms locked, with their other arm slung around the women who were standing to their sides, a step behind, as if they weren't worthy to stand as equals with their men. Dr. Adelai was smiling broadly, something that I had seen before, though this beam was different, one that was born of pure happiness, as opposed to smug disdain. I took the man beside him to be X, looking very dignified and serious, and not even remotely blind.

"Do you recognize them?" Gordon asked. "Do you know their names?"

"I do not recognize the women, but the men are Dr. Adelai and X," I replied, sliding the picture back toward him. He caught it in the center of the table and turned it back toward me.

"This woman here," he said, tapping the image of the woman standing beside Dr. Adelai "was named Phoebe, and this other was called Eira. Phoebe's husband was the man you knew as Dr. Adelai, but his name was actually George, just as you told me. The man who told you to call him X was his brother, a man named Edmund Dorrance, known to some as King Snake…do any of those names sound familiar to you, Bane?"


	26. The Demon in Me

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Demon in Me

Bane's POV

I told myself that it was best that I stay seated, but I could not bear to do so. Some news was best heard while you were sitting, but then you felt compelled to rise to your feet, to pace around the room in the manner of a caged cat, and I was compelled to do just that while the words that the Commissioner had spoken, the query that he had directed at me, sank into my mind and filled me with a seething rage that threatened to consume me completely.

I knew that I ought to be taking deep breaths, the sort that would be described as calming, or cleansing, or perhaps even a combination of the two, but it was difficult to breathe deeply when you were choking on fury, the blind sort of anger that made you feel as though you were on the verge of hyperventilating, the sort that had you choking on sobs that rose unbidden to your throat and threatened to take hold of you and never let you go.

"Do you recognize any of their names?" Gordon asked again in a tone that was growing increasingly insistent as I sat, silently seething, seemingly ignoring him while I stared at my hands, which were slowly tightening into fists of their own accord. "What can you tell me about them, Bane?"

I reminded myself that I no longer relied upon violence to solve my problems. I told myself that I was not that man any longer, I remembered that I had made a conscious decision to change, but there was a larger part of my being, a side of myself that had never truly gone away who begged to differ, who told me that it would be the easiest thing in the world to take on that mantle once more, because I had never truly cast it aside, and I found myself longing for my mask, even as my conscience reminded me that no good could be found by strapping the physical remnant of my past to my face.

"You said that you wanted to help us, but how are you going to do that if you won't speak to me?" the Commissioner asked, leaning forward, to place his hands on top of the table, close to my own hands, a little _too_ close for his own good. "How can we hope to stop the attack that you say is coming for us if you won't work with us to solve it?"

Why could he not have wished to work with me when I was in complete control of myself? Why did he have to wait until I was teetering on the precipice to offer me the opportunity to prove myself to him? It was an outrageous tale, in the best of times, but how would it be coming from a man who was slowly, but surely becoming unhinged, who was steadily falling apart at the seams?

"Are you familiar with the phrase, 'how the mighty have fallen', Commissioner?" I asked quietly, reminding myself, more than once, and within my mind, to keep my voice low and steady, and not to give in to the need to shout, no matter how necessary it might have seemed to do so.

"Yes, I have heard it before, and more than once," he said, taking a sip of his coffee and grimacing at the taste of the beverage that had undoubtedly grown cold while it sat by his elbow, forgotten for the moment. "It's from the Bible, from the second book of Samuel, I believe."

"Chapter one, verse twenty-five," I concurred, taking deliberately measured steps around the room, while my hands curled into fists at my sides with an equally methodical and precise rhythm, which ought to have calmed me somewhat, but which instead further provoked my temper. "Would you agree and say that the phrase sums up my life quite nicely, in the most painful way possible, Commissioner?"

I could see that he was struggling to find the right words to say to me in return, and that furthered my anger, it fueled the fire within me, until it was all that I could do to keep my hands from wrapping their way around his neck and thoroughly choking the life out of his body. I told myself that I had to keep control over myself, that I had to keep my wits about me, but that was not the easiest thing for me to do, not at all, not when I wanted, more than anything, to lose control of myself altogether, consequences be damned.

"Come now, Commissioner, there is no reason why you should be concerned with sparing my feelings. I asked what I did in the hope of receiving your honest opinion on the matter. There was a time when men feared me, and not only here in Gotham, but all around the world. My name was once said in a whisper, but now I am a laughingstock, I am a shadow of my former self, hence me comparing my standing in the world to that verse in second Samuel…though I suppose it is rather conceited of me, is it not, to count myself amongst the 'mighty'?"

Again I saw that he was struggling with his words, and I strode quickly to the center of the room, to where he was sitting and stopped on the empty side of the table, violently kicking the chair that I was supposed to have been sitting on across the room, taking more than a bit of satisfaction in the sound of it banging against and bouncing off of the wall. I slammed my fists down on the tabletop, once, then twice, and felt a second surge of pleasure course throughout my body as I watched the Formica splinter from the blow.

"My question is not a difficult one, Commissioner," I growled, leaning forward, until we were face-to-face, and eye to eye. "Why do you hesitate to tell me your thoughts, why deny yourself the pleasure of telling me how I have failed so grievously at everything that I have ever tried in my life? Why do you refrain from exalting in the knowledge that I am nothing more than a pathetic excuse for a man whose sins have finally come home to roost? Would it not be satisfying for you to immerse me in my shame, until I drown in its depths, Gordon? Do you not remember what I have done to this town, to _your_ town? Why not make me pay….?"

"Back away from the table," a voice said, one which I recognized as belonging to the Batman impersonator. There was anger to be heard in his tone, a good deal of it, as a matter of fact, and I could tell by the way that his voice was wavering that he was dangerously close to losing his temper altogether, and I knew that was the best thing that could happen, because defeating him would not merely be easy in the state that he was in, it would be simplistic, almost shamefully so, as a matter of fact.

"What will you do to me if I refuse?" I asked quietly, smiling at the Commissioner, and winking, as if sharing a little secret that only the two of us knew. "What threat could you possibly hope to use against me, when I have only one thing in my life that matters to me, and it is not likely that you would cause harm to befall her, simply to wound me."

He moved to stand behind me, an action that made me smirk, and that was an expression that I kept on my face right up to the moment that I leapt across the table, swinging my arm to encircle Gordon's throat before he could move away from me, holding him firmly in place. The shocked look on the Batman's face, well, as much of his face as I could see through the shadow of his mask, was almost comical in nature, and I might have laughed, had I not been so consumed by rage, that is.

"You know, I have always credited myself as having the ability to read people very easily," I said, whispering in the Commissioner's ear, sidestepping his elbow as he strove to jab it into my midsection, while I tightened my hold on his throat, as punishment for his defiance. "That is why it came as such a distressing surprise to learn that the man who had sat across from me and spoke to me, who had involved me in his deranged plot, who held me and my beloved hostage, while he had our every moment watched, was the man who is responsible for what I am now, for what I _was_. Do you understand the depths of the anger that I am feeling right now, Commissioner? Can you even begin to comprehend how foolish I feel, to have been duped by him?"

I looked down and saw that his face was a deep shade of red, almost a purple. "It must be very difficult for you to answer when you cannot breathe properly," I said, loosening my grip on his neck somewhat, to allow him to take several deep breaths, before I tightened the pressure once more. "But, I do not truly require an answer, either. I know that it must be aggravating to be questioned like this, and not be given the opportunity to respond, but now is the time for listening, Commissioner, not for you and I to exchange polite chitchat and inane pleasantries with one another, so I am afraid that you will just have to make do with remaining silent for the time being, whether you want to or not."

I moved him across the room, stepping almost rhythmically as we crossed the floor to the spot where the faux Batman stood, as if rooted to the floor. "I have done as you have asked, and am now nowhere near the table," I said, smirking just a bit when I saw the muscles in his jaw working furiously while he strove to control himself. "Is there anything else that you would care to ask of me, while I am still inclined to be generous, or would you rather delay, and press your luck at a later time?"

He took a step toward me, then hesitated when I tightened my hold and made Gordon let loose with a strangling sound. "I would not do that if I were you," I warned. "He is perilously close to asphyxiation as it is. You would not want to be the one to cost him his life, would you? That would be the opposite of heroic, would it not?"

"Release him at once," he growled, curling his hands into fists, so eager to reach me, and teach me a lesson, just as his predecessor intended at one time, before I broke him.

"What will you do if I do not comply?" I asked, loosening my grip by mere increments, because I did not truly wish to kill the Commissioner. "You never clarified that point earlier, when I asked what you hoped to use against me, so perhaps you would be so kind as to do so now….."

"You can either hand him over on your own recognizance, or I will take him from you," he said, rudely interrupting me in his eagerness that the confrontation between us should accelerate to the next level.

_Ah, now we are getting somewhere_, I thought to myself, and smiled welcomingly at the Bat, using the fingers of my free hand to beckon him, as one might summon a dog. "Here he is," I said, tilting my head toward Gordon, who was on the verge of losing consciousness. "Come and get him."

Malayna's POV

There were no words to describe how it felt to see him the way that he was at that moment, because horrified and devastated didn't seem strong enough to do the trick. It had taken a strong sedative to subdue him, and his face was battered and bruised from hitting the floor when they tranquilized him and they had him trussed up in a straitjacket to ensure that he stayed right where they wanted him, and it was all that I could do to keep my tears at bay when I entered the cell and took one look at him, and at the pleading that was in his eyes, but somehow, someway, I managed to find the strength.

"Hello, my sweet," he whispered, and tried to straighten himself in the chair that he was slumped in, but the restraint hindered his movements. "I imagine that I must look a fright, but do not be upset, because I gave to them just as good as I got, maybe even better."

I knew that I oughtn't encourage him in that line of thinking, but I didn't have the heart to chastise him either, so I made do with kneeling before him and opening the bag that I'd brought with me, so that I could clean and bandage his wounds. I'd already done so with Gordon and Batman, and also the six officers that had stormed into the room to subdue Bane once he'd unleashed his rampage, and that meant that I could take my time with him, and comfort him as best as I could, without the burden of knowing that the others were waiting for me to finish with him as quickly as possible, so that I might patch them up.

"Why did you do this, my love?" I whispered, cursing my weak resolve as a tear escaped me in response to his wince of pain as I touched an alcohol soaked swab to the gash below his lower lip. "What was said, what was done, that would make you behave as you did?"

He grew very still, so much so that it seemed at first as if he wasn't even breathing, and his eyes were dark and stormy as they met my gaze. "Let me just say that I received some disturbing news today, my dear, the sort which caught me completely unaware and made me very angry, and while it did not seem the best thing to do, to unleash all of my fury upon Gordon and the Bat, it was inevitable all the same, and in the end I was unable to keep my temper at bay."

"What news….?"

"I am very tired, Malayna, and I would like to rest now, if I may," he interrupted, turning to look at the bunk that was provided for him in the cell, a paper thin mattress atop a cement bed, which would make his aching muscles throb even worse, even if I could convince the Commissioner to remove the straitjacket while he slept, just so long as he was kept under control. "I may answer your questions later, once I have had some sleep, if you wish to wait and gauge my temperament once I awaken, but if you cannot wait that long, I would suggest that you speak to Gordon. He can tell you everything that transpired, and I am certain that he will do so quite eagerly, in the hope of steering you clear from me once and for all."

It was impossible to find a spot on his face that wasn't scraped or torn, or on the verge of a bruise, so I kept the touch of my lips very gentle as they caressed against him once, then twice, and finally a third time, softly, upon his lips.

"He will fill me in on everything," I agreed, helping him to the bunk, and then holding him as best as I could, so that he could lower himself down, onto his side. "But he will be wasting his time if he tries to keep me away from you, because there is nothing, and no one on this earth that could do that, I promise you that, my love."

* * *

My Granny had always had a saying for the way that I kept my bedroom when I'd first arrived at her house, and that was that it looked like a tornado had torn its way through the room, and the interrogation room where Bane had unleashed his fury had that look about it…as did Commissioner Gordon, who was sporting a wide bruise on his throat, one that seemed to grow darker with each moment that passed by.

"It was one name which seemed to set him off," he said, showing me the photo of the group that included Dr. Adelai. "He seemed to be handling things just fine, but then I mentioned the name 'Edmund Dorrance' and something changed within him, something shifted, and before I realized what was happening he'd attacked me, he damn near killed me, and probably would have, if not for the Batman and my officers….."

"He would _not_ have killed you," I interrupted, even though I couldn't say with absolute certainty that he wouldn't have done so, given the news that he'd received. "I know what kind of man you believe him to be, Commissioner, but he is not like that any longer. He's changed, I know he has, and….."

"…..intervening on my behalf," he continued, his eyes flashing angrily at me as he did, as if I hadn't spoken at all. "I was foolish to entertain the notion that he could be reasoned with, that we could work together, in any way, shape or form to solve this mystery, when it's obvious that he doesn't possess the ability to control himself. How are we supposed to accomplish anything if mentioning one name is enough to set him off, can you tell me that, Miss Bishop?"

I looked at the picture, studying the face of Bane's mother, noting the lips, which were so like his, and the eyes, which I imagined were green like her son's as well. I wasn't certain how much I ought to tell the Commissioner, because I knew that Bane wouldn't want too much to be known, but I also knew that my revelation could very well be just what was needed to get Gordon to see things from our point of view.

"What is her name?" I asked, looking up to see him, and also, from the shadows, the Batman, watching me.

"We don't know her last name, but she was called Eira, and she was this Edmund Dorrance's lover," Gordon said, walking around the table, to stand next to me. "He didn't seem angered by her, or by the other two either, but that all changed when I identified Edmund Dorrance….."

"Why is that?" Batman asked, moving to stand close to me as well, and now that he was out of the shadows I could see that his face closely resembled Bane's, with obvious signs of destruction. "Who is this guy that he would cause Bane to come unhinged?"

I looked back at the picture, at the face of the man who was the source of so much misery, and found solace in the fact that there was no trace of the man that I loved to be found in his face, nor in his posture, or his expression. I could see a great deal of Bane in his mother, but I could live with that, because no matter what else she might have done, she'd never betrayed him, she'd never abandoned him, or used him, or caused him harm. I liked to think that she'd loved him, even if no one else in his life had, up until the point where he met me, and that she'd done so selflessly, even though the world around her had been hell come to life…..

Suddenly there was a fingertip beneath my chin, and it lifted my face, forcing me to look into the eyes of the Batman. "You didn't answer my question," he said, smirking when I jerked away from his touch. "Who is this Dorrance guy, why does Bane hate him so much?"

"It's simple, really," I said, moving back away from him. "After all, aren't there a lot of men who hate their fathers?"


	27. Sin Is Crouching At Your Door

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sin Is Crouching At Your Door

Bane's POV

The little girl was telling me not to go, and I knew that the words that she was speaking were wise ones, but what she did not understand was that I had to go, that I had no choice but to face the realities that were mine and mine alone. I did not believe that I had been mistaken to take the information that I had to the authorities, that had been the proper action for a man in my position, but it had not taken long for me to see that I was on my own…..

"But you're not alone, are you?" she asked me quietly, looking down at my hands, with the tip of her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth while she plucked at the cat's cradle that laid suspended between my fingers. "How can you ever be truly alone when she never leaves your side?"

I had expected Talia to step out of the mists to begin with, or, rather, I had expected her to use the fog to evade me, just as she always had, then I waited for Malayna to materialize out of the haze, with open arms and a smile that lit up her eyes, but neither of them had come to me. The one that I had found in the end proved to be the girl who was a stranger to me, while at the same time being both eerily and calmingly familiar and now we were sitting on the ground in front of the maze that I had seen time and again in my dreams.

"Malayna does not stay by my side every moment of the day, little one," I told her, smiling as I watched her take the string from my fingers onto hers. "There are times when I require my privacy, and I am certain that she appreciates me for insisting upon that as well, for moments that are, shall we say, less palatable than others."

She giggled in response, which pleased me, because it meant that I would not have to expand upon my explanation, which would only undoubtedly embarrass both of us immensely. I had started to smile back at her, but a sudden flicker in her expression stopped me, and I could not help but feel concerned when I saw the look of sadness that came over her face, followed closely by fear.

"You still don't know who I am, do you?" she asked, unwinding the string from her fingers and dropping it on the ground at her side. "You still don't see me for who I am, no matter what I say or do…isn't that right?"

She'd always spoken in the manner of one who was wise beyond her years, and her eyes were ones which were far more knowledgeable than they ought to have been, like one who'd seen things that aged her, but listening to her at that moment made me think that she knew things that were hidden from me, that might always be concealed from me, no matter how long I lived, and for that I was envious of her, though I pitied her as well…..

_For crying out loud, she is a figment of your imagination_! I said to myself. _She cannot be wise beyond her years, or filled with premonitions, because she does not exist. She might seem very real, you may even wish that she was real, but the fact of the matter is that she is not so, nor will she ever be_…..

"You don't need to look so sad," she said, moving across the space that lay between us, to take a seat on my lap. "It's okay if you don't recognize me, because the day will come when you'll know exactly who I am, and you will love me just as much as I love you."

She wound her arms around my neck, and pressed her lips to my cheek, and I could say with perfect seriousness and not the barest scintilla of hyperbole that I had never been more shocked in my entire life as I was at that moment. There were few who had deliberately touched me in a way that could be called gentle or loving, just Talia and Malayna, to be exact, and yet it felt so right, it felt like something that I had known and longed for, even though I would have sworn, not even five minutes before, that she was not really there.

"Why do you love me?" I asked quietly, holding my hands still at my sides, even though there was a part of me that whispered that I ought to touch her hair, a side of me that swore that it knew what her hair felt like. "You do not truly know me, do you, little one?"

She sighed deeply, the lament of one who is longsuffering, but tolerant, because they do indeed care so much for the one who is so pathetically dimwitted and annoying in nature. "You aren't ready to know everything just yet," she said, hugging me tightly against her, even though I had yet to return her embrace. "That is not why I have come to see you. You know what I want from you, and it is very important for you to listen to me and do just as I say if you want to have the chance to return to her as the man that you are right now."

I thought of Malayna, and I knew, deep down, in the most secreted recesses of my heart and soul, that she deserved a man who was better than I was. She was worthy of someone who was a kindred of her own spirit, not a tarnished relic like myself, but I was too selfish to let her go. Chances were better than not that I would not have to make that decision at all once the end arrived. More likely than not, that choice would be made without my opinion even being asked, let alone considered, which, in a way, was a relief, because I could not do what was best, I simply could not allow her to leave my side.

"I know what you're planning, and I'm here to tell you that you're making a big mistake," she continued. "If you go after these people all on your own, then you will lose who you are. You will never be able to come back to her as you are right now. You will be lost if you go, there is no way around that, and you need to know that before you continue, you need to accept that, and if you do, then you'll never go, will you? You'll stay right where you are and continue with your life, because how could you possibly do that to her? How could you leave her behind?"

I took a deep breath and clasped her close for a moment, then gently removed her from my lap. "I did not ask for this responsibility, but it came to me none the less, and I cannot turn from it. I have done many things that I am ashamed of, and ignoring my opportunity to set things to right would be at the top of that list if I stay here. How could I possibly feel worthy to stay beside her, if I was to walk away from what I know? And even if I did, my actions would only garner us moments together, as opposed to a lifetime, so what would I have gained in the end? I have to do this little one, because my life is not the one that matters, not when you think of all those that will be saved….."

…..My eyes opened and I shot up in the bed, looking 'round the room for the girl, and finding nothing…except for the duffel bags that were waiting for me by the door. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, wrestling with my intentions for a moment, before I forced myself to rise from my cot. I knew what I had to do, and there was no time like the present to get started. I was not scared of what laid ahead of me, I just hoped that Malayna could, and would, understand. I just hoped that she would be able to love me after it was all said and done…I hoped that this would finally make me into a man who was worthy of her.

* * *

The facility where Malayna and I had been held, where we had learned to trust one another, where we had fallen in love, and where we had come together as lovers, was empty, there were no signs of life to be found anywhere on the premises, but I had not expected them to stay there once we were gone. There were plenty of places where they could be hiding while they brought their plan to fruition, I had a few leads as to where they might be, and in the end they were easy to locate. It was just unfortunate that they managed to discover me just as effortlessly as I had found them.

My father's goons had not set upon me with violence when they took me into custody, they kept their fists and their feet to themselves, but I sensed that they were barely able to control themselves. It would seem that he had found followers that were completely devoted to him, who would do anything for him, and I experienced an epiphany in those moments, as they quickstepped me through one corridor after another, one which was quite painful, that told me that I had behaved like my father in more ways than I cared to remember, though I could soothe myself with the knowledge that I was not that man any longer.

The man who had sired me was sitting in the center of an immense and opulent corridor, resting almost languidly on a throne like seat that was situated on a dais surrounded by a group of men dressed all in black, each of whom had a computer resting in front of them, their fingers collectively clacking away at the keys. I was led to the edge of the platform, the men parted like the Red Sea to admit me, and my father slowly straightened in his seat, his eyes, which had been sitting at half-mast, opening to concentrate sightlessly on my face.

"I knew that you would return to me," he said, smiling slowly, in a self-satisfied manner that immediately set my teeth on edge. "You belong to me, you are part of me, and they can never keep us apart, can they?"

I returned the smile to him, even though I knew he could not see me. "Is that the same bait that you used to lure my mother?" I asked, my own beam growing larger and brighter when I saw his falter. "I wonder if that made her incarceration any easier, to know that she belonged to you, that she was part of you…what do you think, _father_?"

Malayna's POV

"This never would have happened if you'd let me stay with him," I said, scouring my side of the street with eyes that I wouldn't allow to blink, lest I miss him, even though I knew that he wouldn't be found anywhere in Gotham City. "He would have never dared to leave me behind, not if he'd had to look at me while he tried to leave."

I saw the Batman move from the corner of my eye, and though I couldn't see him clearly I had an idea that he was laughing at me, that he was mocking me, and the spark of anger that had been smoldering beneath my fear came to life in a heartbeat. It was odd that I loathed him so much, considering all of the years that I'd idolized him, but then, it was also difficult for me to imagine him as the hero who'd given me hope, in spite of the visual evidence that confirmed who he was, because how could a person who was so self-absorbed possibly care about what happened to his fellow man?

"Is there something that you would like to say to me?" I asked him, turning to glare at him, even though doing so meant that I had to abandon my surveillance of the area. "Is there some tidbit of knowledge that you'd care to share with us, hmm?"

He smiled and his dark eyes twinkled almost happily, though I had a good idea that it was maliciousness that lit his eyes from within, as opposed to innocent and genuine joy. "It just amazes me to think that you're so naïve as to hold on to the belief that he left to do the right thing, when it ought to be as obvious to you as it is to everyone else that he left you behind because he wanted a chance to enjoy life on his own, without the weight of a needy woman pulling him down. Are you really that gullible, Miss Bishop, or is this all just an act?"

_Stay right where you are_, I warned myself, digging my fingertips into the tattered, slightly smelly upholstery that covered the seats of the unmarked car that was carrying us through every single street and alley in Gotham. _He's deliberately baiting you, anyone could see that, but Gordon will never sit back and allow you to attack him. Besides which, you wouldn't be able to touch him, even if you tried. He's Batman, for goodness' sake, not some mouthy little punk who can't back up mouth with his fists…on the other hand, he might not hit a woman, so you might be able to….._

"I wouldn't suggest that you do that, Miss Bishop," the Commissioner said suddenly, turning in his seat to address me. "I don't know what sort of retaliation you're considering, but I can say that it would be a bad idea, no matter how appealing it may seem to you right now."

The Batman turned in his seat and faced me more directly, and I could see that he'd known that I was fuming and plotting as well, and he was smiling at me, almost as if he pitied me, and it was obvious that my anger was doing a fine job of keeping him entertained, and it occurred to me that I was willing to do just about anything to wipe that smile off of his face, even if it took bloodshed…..

Dear God, what was wrong with me? Granted, I'd never been one to shy away from the notion of hurting someone to stop them from harming me, or someone else, but when had I decided that it was acceptable to attack someone and shed their blood simply because they'd annoyed or insulted me, or someone that I loved?

"What p-proof do you have that he _hasn't_ left to do the right thing?" I asked quietly, forcing myself to calm down, and to behave like a rational human being. "I don't think that I'm naïve or gullible, but I do suspect that you are biased by prejudice, that you harbor such an intense hatred for him that you would never believe that he's capable of doing the right thing, even if you saw him doing so with your own two eyes. I'm the one who can't hear, but your blindness makes you more handicapped than I will ever be."

Well, I'd succeeded in wiping the smile from his face, but it wasn't as much of a victory as I would have expected it to be. It was obvious that I'd enraged him, given the way his eyes darkened, to the extent that they were almost black in hue, and the frantic tic that I could see in the muscles of his jaw. It was the proof of an action that ought to have pleased me, hell, that ought to have downright _thrilled_ me, but I just couldn't enjoy it the way that I would have expected to, because the truth remained that we weren't accomplishing anything of importance, not so long as we were caught up in arguing with one another.

"You ought to know all about biased opinions," he said, his anger clipping and quickening his mouth as it formed his words, making it difficult for me to catch each and every one. "At least I'm not the one who feels compelled to sleep with someone who made this town his twisted personal playground….."

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" I interrupted, and it might have been wrong, but I couldn't help but feel a little zing of the enjoyment that I'd denied myself moments before. "After all, you're not exactly his type, so why would he want to sleep with _you_?"

The car came to a sudden stop, and I couldn't hear the screeching of the tires on the pavement, but the fact that I was lurching forward in my seat told me that everyone else could hear it. I started to ask the Commissioner what had happened, but he opened his door and stepped outside before I could say a word, and before I knew what was what he'd opened my door and pulled me outside, then slid into the seat that I'd just been ejected from, and moved to the middle of the seat, then pulled me in after him, to reclaim my spot.

"Alright, children, think of me as a boundary, one that neither of you can speak through or climb over. If you have something to say, you say it to me, but bear in mind that I am a grouchy old fart who hasn't had nearly enough coffee today, which means that I'm in no mood at all to put up with any pissy comments or any other juvenile crap that you might envision. I have the ability to arrest both of you, and if you think that I won't do just that, then push me…I _dare_ you to."

"He started it….."

My voice died away as it dawned on me what I'd just said. I'd told myself in my mind that I wasn't acting pissy or juvenile, and I was certain that I had the perfect arguments to prove that to him, but then I'd opened my mouth and started to say something that was both pissy _and_ juvenile, and now I felt like a fool…and it was plain as day, judging by the smile that was on his face, that he shared that opinion of me.

"I'll be good," I muttered, then turned to look out my window. There was a part of me that said that it was cowardly to do so, so that I wouldn't see whether or not Batman was laughing at me, but there was a larger, and thankfully, more dominant part that said that doing so was wise. That didn't stop me from wearing a sunny grin when I felt Gordon move jerkily toward the Bat, which hinted that he might have just elbowed him in the ribs, possibly because Batman hadn't been smart enough to keep his mouth shut. I didn't know whether or not that was what had actually happened, but that was what I was going to believe, if for no other reason than the fact that it made me smile.


	28. Hear My Silence

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hear My Silence

Malayna's POV

"This is insanity, utter, mindboggling lunacy," he said softly, shaking his head back and forth, as if doing so might help him to make sense of what he was seeing.

I was standing with the Batman, and we were studying the plans that Bane had brought to James Gordon. Well, _he_ was devoting all of his attention to the pages that dictated the whims of a madman, while I was forced to devote only half of my attention to the task at hand, while the other part was taken up by my determination to follow each and every one of his words. I was fairly certain that he didn't hide his mouth from me on purpose, but it would have been nice if he would have made an effort to make things a little easier for me.

"Of course it's a crazy idea," I said, curling my lip in disgust as I pondered the horrors that Bane's father intended to unleash upon humanity. "How could it not be, given the source?"

Batman turned to look at me, and smiled, which surprised me. "Are you referring to the source as Edmund Dorrance, or are we speaking of the ones who originally dreamed this up?"

I returned the smile, and almost laughed when I saw the look of surprise that blossomed upon his face, one which was probably an equal to the one that I was wearing. "Both of them," I verified, "though, in terms of which one has proven themselves historically as the most demented of all, I'd say that we'd have to go with the ones who came up with the idea in the first place, wouldn't you agree?"

I couldn't say when the moment had arrived that we'd decided to lay our animosities aside and joined forces. Maybe it was a conclusion that we'd reached after Gordon chastised us in the backseat of that smelly, ratty tatty cruiser, maybe it was the day after that, when he forced us to work together, perhaps it hadn't really and truly happened until just a few minutes ago, but whatever the reason and whatever the time, I was grateful that we'd decided to get along, if for no other reason than the fact that it made the task that lay ahead of us seem much less daunting.

"Well, those bastards definitely hold a high score for being amongst the most ruthless, cruelest and most sadistic sons of bitches in the history of mankind, not to mention the looniest, so, yeah, I'd have to say that they rank over Dorrance, but how long is that going to last…and what are you going to do if it turns out that Bane has been a willing participant this whole time?"

Oh, help. I don't know why he insisted on bringing all of that up again. Hadn't we made peace with one another, or at least laid the groundwork for doing so? Couldn't he understand that nothing he said or did changed my feelings for Bane, or the fact that I would believe in him, that I would have faith in his determination to be a good man until I drew my last breath?

Goodness…that was certainly melodramatic, wasn't it? I was just glad that I hadn't said it out loud. It wasn't that my sentiments weren't true, because they were, but I could easily imagine what they would sound like to someone like Batman, who loathed Bane with every fiber of his being, and if there was going to be any hope at all for us working together, then it was best that I kept those sorts of things to myself.

"And when do you propose that they approached him?" I asked, careful to keep my voice as calm as I possibly could, which was quite a feat, given the provocation. "Did they come to see him while he was lying comatose in his hospital bed, or perhaps they made their offer while he was working for Talia al Ghûl, a little two for one special for the distortion of his soul, is that was you're suggesting?"

The Batman grew very still beside me, so still that I didn't dare to look at him, but after one minute passed, then two, I couldn't help but look, and to my surprise he was smiling, and that threw me for a loop. I was expecting a glare to be aimed in my direction, one that was paired with fiery anger in his dark eyes, but he hadn't gone that route at all, he was grinning instead, and that scared me just a little bit, though I'd be damned before I'd let _him_ know that.

He started to speak to me, but then he turned away, to look at the table, and I only caught snippets of what he meant to say, and that made me mad. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's ignorance on your part, rather than a desire to be rude, that has you behaving this way, but when you turn away while you're speaking, so that I cannot see your mouth, it is the equivalent of you talking behind my back, and I'd prefer that you not do so, please….."

He turned from the table and looked at me, and I was surprised, and pleased, to see that there was genuine contrition in his eyes. "I wasn't trying to be ignorant or rude. I'm sure that's kind of hard for you to believe, all things considered, but it's the truth."

I smiled at him, and nodded, to show him that I believed him. "I can imagine that it's easy to forget that I can't hear, when you take into consideration how much I talk," I said, and the smile on my face grew when I saw that I'd made him laugh. It was moments like these when I really missed Bane, though, if the truth were to be known, I missed him all of the time. I'd always loved to tease him, to see if I could make him smile, or, even better, to make him laugh, and though the Batman was a poor substitution, at best, for my beloved, at least I had someone to share that side of myself with again, until Bane came back to me.

"Would you like to repeat what I missed, now that we've gotten that awkwardness out of the way, or would you prefer to keep it to yourself?" I asked, making my way back toward the table, to immerse myself in the plans once more. "Maybe it would be best, for both of us, if we just let it….."

"I don't want you to think that I'm hiding things from you," he interrupted, concentrating all of his attention on me, which was a little disconcerting. "What I said was that there was nothing that I could say about him that you would consider, that you would defend him, no matter what, and I marveled that anyone could be capable of such devotion, when the one that they love has proven so unworthy in the past."

Ordinarily I would have felt my temper spike at the mention of Bane's past, and the insinuation that I loved him blindly, not to mention foolishly, but that was because the Batman had always shaped his observations and accusations in a mocking fashion, but those inflections weren't in the words that his lips had just formed. I knew that he still didn't understand me, and he certainly didn't approve of the way that I felt and believed, but he was trying to be respectful none the less, and I didn't have the meanness in me that was necessary to berate and belittle him.

"I was never taught to love someone with conditions," I told him, feeling very self-conscious beneath the intensity of his gaze, but holding my eyes steady on his face none the less. "That is why I can't love Bane in that way. I never could have dreamed that I would feel what I do for him, but now that I do, there's no going back. I don't judge him by his past, because he wasn't mine then, and I know that he's sorry for what he did. That was one of the reasons that he agreed to give _aid_ to these monsters, so that he could work against them, and I can't imagine, I _won't_ imagine, what might happen….."

I felt the pulling in my throat that told me that my words were weighed down by a sob, and I grew quiet. I had learned a long time ago to keep my tears to myself, I had been taught, in the cruelest way possible, that those who didn't love you didn't care if they had hurt your feelings. As a matter of fact, it made them happy to know that they'd caused you pain, it made them point at you and laugh, it made them downright _ecstatic, _which was why it shocked me when the Batman took a step toward me and wrapped his arms around me.

I'd managed to keep a brave face since Bane had gone when I was around those that I considered to be strangers, but I couldn't keep the façade firmly in place at all times. I'd done well with keeping the tears at bay unless I was alone, but the warmth and strength of Batman's embrace reminded me that sometimes a being needed to be held, that sometimes a person needed the comfort and care of their fellow human being, and this was one of those times for me, though I never would have dared to dream that I would find consolation and concern from the Batman.

I could feel his chest rumbling beneath my cheek and knew that he was speaking to me, that he meant to soothe me, even though I couldn't hear his words, and was reminded of all of the times when Bane had sought to do the same. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that he shared traits with my beloved, just to rib him a bit, but the truth of the matter was that he wasn't much like Bane at all. He felt so different against me, so much so that it almost felt wrong, criminally so, to allow myself to be held by him, and that was why I pulled away from him, not abruptly, in a way that might insult him, or even hurt his feelings, but slowly, with a hesitant smile…one that faded somewhat when I looked into his eyes and had an epiphany of sorts, one that berated me for not noticing the truth sooner.

"You're not the real Batman, are you?" I asked wonderingly, my suspicions confirmed when I saw his dark eyes widen with disbelief. "I should have seen that in your eyes before now, and in your mouth, but I didn't. I saw what you wanted me to see, but I didn't see everything that was staring me in the face, did I?"

He looked like he was seriously considering denying what we both knew to be true, and he might have done just that, but James Gordon chose that moment to interrupt us, rushing into the room, with a look in his eyes that made my heartbeat stutter a step in its rhythm, then jerkily commence beating, its pace growing furiously, despite the heaviness that had taken root within it.

"He's been taken," he said, training his eyes on me and wincing when he saw me stumble forward and grab hold of the table, in an effort to keep from sinking down to my knees. "They sent a note…and a photo."

There was something in his expression, a warning, one that I suppose he meant for the faux Batman, so that he might keep me back, so that I wouldn't be able to see what had become of my beloved, and I thought it was because he'd been beaten, because he'd been savaged, and I broke free and rushed across the room, nearly tearing the photo from his hands. I glanced at it for a moment, so sure that I was ready for the worst…until the worst stared back at me, through a mask that I despised, and the man that I loved, resting comfortably within a nest of vipers, as if he wanted to be there, as if he _belonged_ there.

Bane's POV

They meant for their attack to be sudden and swift, a mutated and weaponized strain of a deadly disease, contained in a capsule of sorts, all set to be dispatched from this one facility, with destinations all over the world, the largest cities, where the most damage was sure to be done. It was all so tiring, really, and disheartening, not to mention enraging, and all that I could do was watch, and wonder, as they brought their vision to life.

"I never gave much thought to family reunions when I was growing up, truth be told, I did not even know that such a thing existed, but now I know, and I have to be perfectly honest with you, Uncle George, and say that I would have been happy, I would have been blissfully content, to remain ignorant of the custom."

I hated the way that my voice sounded, I loathed the lightheadedness that swamped me from the medication that hissed and swirled through my mask. I despised my newly bald pate and my smooth chest, shorn and shiny, just like my head. It sickened me to know that I looked and sounded exactly like I had the last time that I had taken part in terroristic activities, I would have thought that I was past all of that, but here I was, none the less, as if nothing had changed…as if Malayna had never come into my life.

"I never wanted this for you, Ifan….."

"Do _not_ call me by that wretched name," I growled, curling my hands into fists in a bid to stop myself from curling them around his throat. "That is not my name, curse it all….."

"That is the name that your mother gave you, not your father, not those that feared you, and not those who blindly followed you, chanting that awful moniker in the manner of a prayer. She loved you from the moment that you were conceived, she was the one who wished you to be called Ifan, because that name means Gift of God, and that is what you were to her, that was who you were, and that is why I will call you that, if you please, because the other name holds no meaning for me, other than memories that I would just as soon leave behind."

It was a name that sounded odd to me, it seemed to belong to a stranger, to an imposter, but I could not help but be pleased that my mother had taken the time to name me before she had died. Perhaps my uncle was right, perhaps he was telling the truth, rather than lying to me, whether out of pity or out of kindness, because one would have been just as bad as the other. Maybe there had been someone who had genuinely loved me when I was a child, and I could not help but wonder how differently I might have turned out, had she been there to see me grow, though I did not allow myself to dwell on the notion too long, because I did not need any additional pain, I was already nursing more than my fair share.

"'Gift of God', that is not much to live up to, is it?" I said, chuckling a little while I pondered what the reaction of those who loathed me would be, to know that my mother had bestowed such an inappropriate, in their way of thinking, moniker upon me. "I am flattered, to be sure, that she thought me worthy of such a proclamation, though, I would imagine that she would be disappointed, if she was to see me now, and to know that I failed to live up to her expectations."

He looked across the room, glared, really, to the spot where his brother sat, surrounded by a network of minions clacking away at their computers, and, on the outer circle, by those who shared my father's distorted view of the future. There was disgust on his face; there was an intense hatred that burned so furiously that it seemed paltry to deem it as mere antipathy. I knew that his brother had taken everything away from him, just as he wished to do to me, and I could not help but wonder how far he would go to keep my father's vision from becoming a reality.

"I was given a name which means that I ought to have grown up to be a farmer, and your father was meant to be a rich protector, so it would seem that none of us are what we're meant to be," he said, moving to stand beside me, reaching out, almost touching me on my forearm, then stopping at the last moment. "Eira named you as _her_ gift from God, because that was the way that she felt about you, even before you were born, and your life would have been different with her, which means that you wouldn't have done all that you have, you wouldn't have had to….."

"She loved my father, and he is an evil son of a bitch, so I might not be that much of a disappointment to her after all," I said, moving away from him, to ensure that he would not try to touch me again. "And if I was not what I am, then I never would have found my Malayna, and that is a life that I do not want to ponder, not even for a moment, because it would not be worth living."

I heard him sigh, and he moved, once more, to stand beside me, though, thankfully, he did not repeat his attempt to reach out to me. "She loved Edmund in spite of who he is, of _what_ he is, though I'll never understand why. The important thing that you need to remember is that you are not him, Ifan, you are not even remotely like him, and your mother would be proud, to know that you were willing to risk everything to save everyone. She would be pleased; to know that you were willing to do all that you could, to save those whom your father wishes to destroy…and Malayna will be proud as well."

It hurt my heart to hear her name spoken aloud and know that the chance that I would ever see her again was miniscule, to say the very least. I wished that I could hold her in my arms just one more time, I wanted to kiss her, to make love to her, to tell her about the difference that she had made in my life, in _me_, to assure her that what we had was real, that it would never die, even if I was to…..

"It sounds as if you have everything all planned out, is that right?" I asked, aiming for a tone that was sarcastic, and finding one that was tired, and more than a little sad, instead. "Would you care to fill me in on what is going to happen, if you would be so kind, because I cannot see where this road leads, other than to the ultimate sacrifice…oh, hell."

I might have known that would be the end of this for me, what right did I have to hope for more than that? I could see the truth in my uncle's eyes, and the more that I thought about it, the more that I realized that there was no other way for us to succeed. I only hoped that I had the courage and the character to do what had to be done once the moment arrived, and I wished that I could see her face, just once more, before my time was up. Surely that was not asking for too much, was it?


	29. This Is My Kingdom Come

Chapter Twenty-Nine

This Is My Kingdom Come

Bane's POV

A blind man ought not to have been so observant, he ought not to have been able to sense each and every move that I made, but my father seemed not only to detect me before I acted, he seemed to anticipate it as well, and the smile that would blossom on his face, the eerie light that seemed to shine at me from his sightless eyes made a nervous and unsettling feeling squirm up and down on my spine.

"It may be difficult for you to believe this, let alone accept it, but I did love your mother," he said, as he seemed to follow me, with his eyes, while I nervously fidgeted in my chair. "She was such a beautiful woman, and so devoted, so focused, on me, and on the cause as well, but she lost some of the fervor, some of the discipline that was necessary to bring our vision to life once she found that she was carrying you. It was as if she had found a new purpose for herself, a new calling, and for some reason she expected me to follow her, to devote myself to the notion of _family life_…but I refused to be swayed from the path….."

"So you just decided to let her rot in that prison cell, until she died giving birth to me, is that it?" I interrupted, savoring the startled look that came over his face when he realized that I had not only the temerity, but the pleasure, as well, of interjecting myself into the conversation. "And I suppose it was no problem at all for you to allow a child, _your_ child, to pay the price for your sins, was it? I would imagine that the thought of me in that hole, and the knowledge of what would be done to me, of what I would have to do in order to survive, never even crossed your mind, did it, _Father_?"

The act of merely thinking of him in that fashion was painful for me, and forcing myself to speak the name aloud made me sick to my stomach, but I did so none the less, if for no other reason than to make him face the consequences for his actions. I do not know why I bothered to waste my time; it was not as if he possessed a conscience that I could hope to shame, nor a compassionate heart that I might bruise. I suppose that maybe, perhaps, I said what I did in the hopes of honoring the woman who had been my mother, now that I knew who she was, after all, she deserved a great deal more than she had received for bringing me into this world, would you not agree?

"She had changed, she was no longer the woman that I had loved," he said, with no trace of emotion to be seen on his face, though he could not hide the edge that sharpened his words, the one that said that I had successfully touched a nerve within him. "Wouldn't it make it difficult for you to love Malayna, if she was to become a different woman, hmm? How would you feel, if you were to know that she carried your child in her womb? Wouldn't you feel as if she'd betrayed you, if she'd invited an outsider into your relationship, when you were the only one that she was ever supposed to love?"

My God, he had every appearance of a full-grown man, yet his reasoning was that of an overindulged toddler. I suppose that his view made perfect sense to him, which was alarming, but I had to wonder if he had ever bothered to actually listen to himself, if he had ever absorbed the words that he spoke on the matter, if he had ever allowed himself to hear how ridiculous he sounded, and the more that I thought about it, the more that I reached the conclusion that he had not, because he would not have opened his mouth, if he knew how pathetic he appeared in moments such as these, would he?

"I cannot imagine Malayna changing in any way that would make me love her any less than I do right now," I answered, leaning back in my chair to make myself more comfortable, and also to avoid the inevitability of feeling the need to wrap my hands around his throat for as long as I possibly could. "Love is not something that varies with the changes that overtake a person as they grow older and adapt to new environments and experiences. I cannot say how I would react, if I were to know that she was carrying my child, because, quite frankly, I never had the opportunity to entertain the notion of being a father, but I like to think that I would be happy, to know that there was a living and breathing manifestation of what she and I feel for one another…as opposed to viewing the child as a disgusting parasite whose one intent is to steal its mother's love away from me."

Normally I hated discussing my beloved with my father, because doing so always made me feel as though I was sullying her somehow, but I wanted him to know that in this instance, as in all others, I shared none of his thoughts or feelings. I wanted him to know that though he had provided me with part of my parentage, he had nothing at all in common with me. I wanted him to think back on the man that I had grown to be, and compare him with the man that I was today, and know that neither one of us was anything like him. Granted, there was nothing at all in my past that I could truly say that I was proud of, except for saving a child's life, in spite of the fact that said child had turned me upside down and inside out, but now I had my moments with Malayna to look back on, and that was one thing that dignified me as a human being, no matter what might happen from here on out.

"Ah, my boy, I see that you have allowed the fairytale of _true love_, the rubbish and rot that people spew about what is _undying _and _unconditional_ to catch you in its noose, haven't you?" he said, his tone fairly dripping with sarcasm while he laughed at me. "Women change when they feel a life within them, at least, those with a motherly instinct do, and the child does become a parasitic presence, because it drains away all of her ability to be selfish and focused outward. She becomes protective of this mass of cells, she begins to feel as if she is a protector, harboring something of great importance, and suddenly she is selfless and concentrated within, on this thing that feeds upon her. She forgets promises that she made, she brushes vows of loyalty aside as if they mean nothing at all, and in the end, why should I have sacrificed myself, or my vision, just to save a traitorous whore and her whelp, when there were so many important things that could have been accomplished instead?"

How odd it was that I would feel a sudden surge of protectiveness toward my mother. I had spent the majority of my life ignoring the idea of parents altogether, but now that I was faced with the living, breathing reality of a father, I just could not keep myself from thinking of the woman who had carried me, then given birth to me in that hellish pit. It startled me, to realize that she had loved me, and what was even more shocking was the knowledge that I loved her as well. I never knew her, I had never seen her smile or heard her voice, but she was a part of me none the less, she was important to me, and I would not allow him to malign her name any longer.

"God damn you for what you did to her," I said viciously, feeling that overwhelming, all-consuming rage that was so familiar rising up in me, moving me to stand, and begin a slowly steady and determined advance toward my father. "God damn you for what you did to me and for what you mean to do, what you mean for _me_ to do….."

I had the pleasure of watching his eyes widen, not by much, but enough to fuel my need to hurt him even further. I was going to make him bleed, I was going to make him beg, I didn't care whether or not it was a rash move, or if it was a mistake, I was going to cause him as much pain as I could, as much pain as he had caused me…at least, that was the plan, until my uncle grabbed hold of me and held on. He dug in his heels and kept me from moving forward, and I marveled at his strength, even while I struggled against him, demanding that he release me.

My father's faithful devotees flooded into the room and surrounded him, effectively blocking him, even if I was to break free of my uncle's hold, because I knew that I couldn't make myself rip each and every one of them apart with my bare hands. He rose to his feet within their cocoon and smiled at me, seemingly looking right at me, even though I knew that he couldn't see me.

"Oh, He did that a long time ago, son," he said, turning to move toward the door with the sort of confidence that ought to have been denied to a man who was blind. "Rest assured that I will be made to answer for each and every one of my iniquities, when the time to pay the piper arrives…but that won't be for a very long time, so I suggest that you accept your lot and do what I require, unless you'd prefer that I resort to less pleasant means of motivation."

Malayna's POV

I was exhausted, I could feel sleep creeping up on me; I knew that it was threatening to claim me, to divert me away from my watch, and I refused to let it do so. Bane was out there without me, and it was slowly driving me crazy, the knowledge that he needed me, and I couldn't do anything, because I didn't know where he was. I pored over the documents that he'd left behind with every hour of the day, and a good amount of the night. I knew the plans forwards and backwards, I'd studied them until my eyes had gone crossed, and so far it hadn't done any good…I'd never felt more like a failure than I did at that moment, and I couldn't help but indulge in a little self-loathing, with an unhealthy dose of self-pity thrown in for good measure, until a stern, and familiar voice, filled my head.

_I never liked this fella_, Granny said in a tone that I recognized from my childhood, even though I hadn't heard it very often. It was the voice that she'd always used when she was getting on to me, the one that accompanied the stance that she would take, with her hands resting on her hips, while she explained how my behavior was unacceptable. _I always knew that he'd be trouble, but I can see now that you need him, that you love him, and the same can be said for him needing and loving you. That is what you need to remember in the months to come, sweetheart, because they're going to drag on and they're going to be painful, but you'll survive, Malayna, just like you always have. You're a fighter, you've always been strong, and you've got to keep going, no matter what….._

"W-what are you t-telling me, Granny?" I asked shakily, falling back into a stammering state, which I hated, as fear, ugly, roiling, all-consuming terror took hold of me. "Why are y-you telling me these things?"

_The storm is almost here, sweetheart,_ she said, her voice changing from one that was firm to one that was soft and sympathetic, which only served to frighten me even more. _It is upon you, and it is surrounding him, and you have to accept that you have no control over what will happen, Malayna. There are things that are coming that will require your strength, which will in turn offer you their might and their comfort…please remember that. Please hold strong and fast to that promise, sweetheart, when it seems like you have nothing to live for….._

I didn't want to hear any more of what she had to say. I wanted to tell her to shut up and leave me alone, but in the end I didn't have to, because the door to my room opened and James Gordon entered, followed closely by the one who was masquerading as the Batman. I couldn't say for certain what my face looked like in that moment, but it must have been bad, given the way they both stopped short in their stride and stared at me, though Gordon got past his surprise quickly enough, and moved forward to hand me an envelope with my name on it, written in a hand that I recognized in an instant.

For a moment I closed my eyes, with the envelope clutched tightly against my chest, and then I remembered that I wasn't alone in the room. I reluctantly opened my eyes and deliberately avoided the gazes of the men who had to have been watching me with looks that said that my actions bewildered them, to say the very least. My hands were shaking as I opened the letter, and the paper cut me, but I paid the tiny instances of pain no mind at all, because his opening words, "Malayna, my love" made me smile, and it felt like all was right again in the world, if only for a moment.

Unfortunately the moment didn't last long; as a matter of fact it was tragically short. I scanned the letter quickly, thinking to myself that I would linger over it later when I had the time to do so, but that was before he laid things out for me, as kindly and sweetly as he could, considering that most of his words made it feel as if my heart was being ripped from my body. He braced me for the attack, by telling me how much he loved me, and how he regretted nothing. He told me to be happy and to fall in love with someone else, as if such a thing was even possible, and then he calmly, and almost clinically, mapped out the destruction of the world, and how he meant to stop it.

I stumbled backward, my heart pounding in my ears, and deep breaths that I knew were escaping me as sobs spilling forth as the backs of my knees made contact with the mattress on my bed and I fell down to its soft surface as tears started to stream down my cheeks. At any other time I would have been horrified by the notion of crying in front of anyone, especially the pretend Batman, but I was too caught up in the sudden onslaught of pain and misery to pay my pride any mind at all.

Suddenly there was a presence kneeling in front of me, and two hands were resting on the bed, one on each side of me. I opened my eyes and saw James Gordon crouched on the floor in front of me, looking up at me with genuine concern in his eyes. I felt a sudden and overwhelming urge to throw myself into his arms, something that I never would have considered in the past, and after a split-second of hesitation I did just that, and cried against his chest, grateful for the comfort of his embrace and the gently hesitant stroking of his hand against my hair.

I could feel his chest rumbling and imagined that he was comforting me, that he was whispering that everything would be alright, that he was telling me to shush, and not to cry, and I tried valiantly to calm myself down, to no avail, I might add, and then he was moving me back away from him and I was scared and on my own once more…though he was kind enough to smile at me, and wipe away my tears with his thumbs.

"I know that the letter was addressed to you, but I think that you need to tell us what he said," he shaped, moving his lips very slowly, so that I wouldn't miss a word. "Unless it was just a bunch of lovey-dovey type of stuff, which means that you can keep it to yourself."

I'm sure that he knew that there was serious, heartrending information in the letter, that was the only thing that explained the fact that I carrying-on in a way that said that my world had just stopped turning, but I appreciated his attempt to make me smile, he might have even meant to make me laugh, but that wasn't going to happen today…to be perfectly blunt, and more than a touch melodramatic, if everything went according to plan, I imagined that I would never be able to laugh again.

I tried to answer him, but I couldn't make the words come out of me, and after a few moments of watching me stammer he smiled again, this time sadly, and held out his hands to me. "May I?" he asked, gesturing toward the letter, the pieces of paper that held so much important and priceless information. "I'll be careful, Malayna, I promise."

I knew that he would, I knew that he wasn't careless, but it was still with a good deal of reluctance that I handed Bane's letter to him. I watched him like a hawk, to ensure that he kept his promise, and then took a deep breath when I saw the gentle way that he was handling the paper. His eyes scanned it quickly and I watched, fascinated, in spite of my heartbreak, by the faint blush that rose in his cheeks when he reached the parts where Bane spoke of the love that we'd made, and the things that I'd made him feel, color that faded, then turned to the palest shade of white, when he read about the plan in its entirety.

"We can still stop this," he said, after he'd taken a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath. "He's given us the coordinates, and the time, and that's all that we need. God knows that it's going to be close, but we can do this…we _will_ do this."

The man who was supposed to be Batman crossed the room and took the letter from Gordon. I'd been surprised, and touched, by the Commissioner's determination to be gentle, but his reaction wasn't nearly as surprising as that of the one who seemed to hate Bane the most. He handled the letter as if it was the most fragile thing on Earth, and he scanned its contents quickly, just as Gordon had, though he didn't blush when he read the more intimate sections, though he did shake his head a time or two.

"Are you ready for this, Malayna?" he asked, once he'd finished reading, looking at me and trying to smile, as Gordon had done, though the effort didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm going to need to know that you're strong, if you're going to be there with us. Can you do that? Can you stay strong, no matter what happens, for me and for Jim, or is that asking for too much?"

In the past I would have thought that he was mocking me, but now I recognized his words as an attempt to bolster me, and funnily enough it had worked, because he'd managed to pique my temper just enough to have me wiping the tears off of my face while I took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I don't think that I could ever really make myself 'ready'", I answered, feeling the slight unsteadiness that was in my voice and ignoring it, instead of allowing it to upset me, as it would have in the past. "But I _can_ do this. I can be strong, no matter what happens, though it won't be for you, fake Batman, and not for James Gordon either, but for Bane, for the man that I love."

The side of his mouth quirked up into a smile and he handed the letter back to me, his movements slow and careful. "That'll be just fine," he said, turning and nodding to the Commissioner, only to find that he'd already fled the room, undoubtedly to raise and rally the troops. "And you may as well call me John, if you want to. It rolls off of the tongue a lot easier than 'fake Batman', doesn't it?"

Bane's POV

I don't know how we'd managed all that we had, it seemed impossible, now that I was on the outside with my uncle, looking in. The missiles had been awesome to behold, it was daunting, to say the very least, to stand on the ground beneath them, looking up at that which held death and destruction at all times, but which were now even deadlier, since they were packed with a weaponized contaminant that there was no cure for.

Twenty-five cities had been targeted in the attack, and tens of millions of lives hung precariously in the balance, and I took a moment to marvel at the fact that it was my intention to save them, when I usually would have been the one who was threatening them. I hefted the RPG up to my shoulder and took aim, finding the tank that was loaded with propane easily enough, and smiled, imagining my father, tied to the missiles, along with a dozen of his men.

It had been touch-and-go to begin with, searching for a time when my uncle and I, along with the small group of men that we'd hired, along with one turncoat, could put everything into motion, but thankfully for us, my father was a vain, and therefore careless man, and he'd sent a good portion of his commandos and all of his drones after supplies for a lavish last supper. It was easy after that, though that tank had been difficult to move into place, and now we were ready to proceed, and when I say we, I mean my uncle and me, because while the others had been eager enough to lend their help placing the tank and tying people into place, they drew the line at staying behind while I launched the grenade, given that it was possible that we might be destroyed in the process.

"Did you tell her goodbye in your letter, Ifan?" my uncle asked, standing close beside me, as close as he dared, without running the risk of me snarling at him. "Did you tell her all that you needed to, all that you wanted to, while you still had the chance to do so?"

I knew that he was asking me because the chance was better than not that we wouldn't make it through this. More than likely the blast would kill us, even though we were positioned a good distance away; we both knew that, we were prepared for that, because it was the only way to stop things. My father was vain, and he was impulsive, but he was also intelligent enough to have sent someone, an unknown face and presence, into hiding, who would override any attempt to delay the takeoff. That meant that everything would have to be destroyed with an explosion, and we were the only ones willing to do what had to be done, not to mention the only ones crazy enough, and I couldn't stop now, not when I'd come so far.

"Yes, I told her," I murmured, taking a deep shuddering breath as I imagined her reading the letter and crying for me. "I do not know what my words will mean to her, once all of this is done, but I hope that she will forgive me one day. I hope that she will find a way to be happy…no matter how much it hurts me to think of her going on without me."

I felt him hesitate, and then he laid his hand on my shoulder, and I did not snarl at him, nor did I jerk away from his touch. I needed that comfort at that moment, I needed the reassurance, so that I might find, and cling to, my fleeting strength and sense of what I ought to do. This was my only chance to redeem myself completely, this was my only chance to be worthy enough to deserve the love of my Malayna, and it was the cruelest irony that I would not be there to enjoy the reward for my actions.

"Is it right to have him tied, along with the others?" I asked, finding my father with the sights of the RPG and flinching at what I saw, in spite of all that he'd done, and all that he meant to do. "Is it wrong for us to be doing this to him, Uncle George….?"

"All of our efforts will have been for naught if you free him," he said softly, but firmly, squeezing my forearm, as if to fortify me even further. "He would come back to what he's done, but only after he killed Malayna. He won't ever change, Ifan, this is all that he knows, and his death, along with his men, will serve as an effective deterrent to those who aren't here. Sheep are destined to destroy one another, and are easily scattered, provided that you remove their shepherd."

I knew that he was right; I knew that it was not an act of evil on my part, to kill my father and the others. It was an act of self-defense, plain and simple, not to mention protection for everyone else who laid in the path of destruction that he had planned for them. That was the thought that encouraged me to look away from my father, to center my attention on the tank, and to close my eyes, and whisper a prayer, as my finger tightened on the trigger of the RPG.

Malayna's POV

We were close, moving in as silently as possible, with no flashing lights and no sirens. Of course, I couldn't say that the sirens weren't blaring, because I couldn't hear, but Gordon had said that a surprise attack was of the utmost importance…but we were still too far away. I knew that Bane needed our help; I knew that he needed me, even though he'd warned us to stay away until he'd carried out his plan.

I could only think of one reason that he would want us to stay away, and it was unthinkable to me, it was impossible, and thankfully Gordon and John had no intention of allowing him and his uncle to act as The Lone Ranger and Tonto. It was the only thing that kept me going, the only thought that convinced me to keep moving forward, the notion that I could help him, that we could be there to aid him, to save him…that was, it _had_, until we saw the explosion as it lit up the sky, a monstrous fireball that rose and spread and seemed to hover forever.

"Sweet Lord have mercy," I whispered, tears streaming down my face as I leaned forward to slap my palms against the divider between the front seat and the back, then to hammer my fists, even though Gordon had already slammed on the brakes. "Oh, God, help, let me out of here!" I screamed, pounding the divider again and again. "He needs me, damn it! Let me out of here!"

John opened the door, then tried to stop me as I sprinted forward, my eyes concentrated upon the ball of fire as I ran, thinking to myself that I was Bane's only hope, that I had to save him. I pulled away from John easily enough, taking the time to plant my toe against his shin as I ran, but then Gordon caught me and brought me, screaming and kicking, flailing my arms, tight against his chest, before I could run into the road, which was fortunate, because there were still drivers whizzing past us.

"It's too late!" I saw him shape, and I cried out in furious denial at his words, even though I knew that they were true. I could fight him, I could cuss him and claw him, I could even kill him, but the facts were still the facts and the truth wouldn't be changed. Bane was gone, and there was no bringing him back, and I was all alone, just like I'd been before he came into my life...I may as well have never even have known him.


	30. You Call My Name, It Feels Like Home

Chapter Thirty

You Call My Name, It Feels Like Home

_Epilogue_

Five Years Later

Bane's POV

Five years. My God, it was a lifetime. An eternity had passed me by since I had last held my beloved tight in my arms. A perpetual number of seconds had held me suspended, without Malayna's voice, without the soft, warm wash of her breath upon my skin. An infinite amount of loneliness had left me in its wake, without her lips, or her body, curved and willing against me, and I ought to have shed countless tears, I ought to have been forlorn and despondent, and I would have been, had I not been in a coma for the majority of that time.

George and I had survived the blast that dispatched my father and his cronies, along with the means for their nefarious plot to destroy the world, but the shock wave had rendered us unconscious. Who knows what might have happened to us, had we been left there, hidden for the most part from the outside world, but thankfully we had a guardian angel watching over us, a timid woman named Miss Linton, who had been in my father's employ, but opted for an early retirement to a tropical paradise with my uncle and me in tow, so that we might have time to heal.

We did quite well, so much so that George felt confident enough to proceed with his miracle procedure, the operation that would, in theory, ensure that I would never know another moment of pain. In the end the surgery _was_ successful; I truly was without pain for the most part. That had not been what had set me back, or what had kept me away from Malayna for five years.

The setback had come during the procedure, when I developed an infection, one that had spread all throughout my body in a very short period of time, and my uncle had placed me into a medically induced coma so that he could combat the contagion with the sort of aggressiveness that he did not dare attempt while I was awake. There was no question in my mind that I was grateful for what he had done, because I knew that I owed him part of my life, I just wished that it had not taken five years for me to get back on my feet.

Now I was back in Gotham, with the sole purpose of finding Malayna, to see if she had taken the advice that I had given to her in our last correspondence, while I hoped and prayed with every last fiber of my being that she had paid me no mind at all. Miss Linton, who had proved herself invaluable to both me and my uncle throughout the years, had found her easily enough, and some of the burden was lifted from my spirits when I saw that her surname had remained Bishop, though that did not mean that she did not have a sweetheart, she could have possibly even found herself a lover, and that was a thought that made my blood boil, that encouraged me to bare my teeth, like a common beast, while I hunted this interloper down and proceeded to tear out his throat with my bare hands.

That was the feeling that always rose within me, when I contemplated the notion of Malayna in love with any man who was not me, and I had to remind myself that I was not that sort of man any longer. I had to remember that I solved my problems with my mind, that I always strove to stay as calm and as rational as a man ought to…though the more brutish side of my nature refused to leave me in peace, no matter how many times I tried to bid him goodbye.

It had been especially difficult for me to keep myself from verbally abusing my uncle and Miss Linton when I discovered that neither of them had bothered to take the time to contact Malayna, to let her know that I was still alive, and not buried somewhere, burnt to a crisp, or vaporized and blown to the winds by the explosion that had ruined my father and all of his delusions of grandeur. I had not only wanted to shout at them for this heinous oversight, I had wanted to hurt them, as physically as possible, the fact that they were an old man and a woman be damned, but thankfully I had not given in to that urge…though I had thought on it a good long while before I had let it go.

Miss Linton's detective work had led me to Grant Park, a place that I had been assured that Malayna visited once a day, around noon, and I had barely taken three steps inside of the lush grounds before I realized that I had been in this place before. I could not remember when I had visited this park, no matter how I searched my mind, I could not recall the time, or any specific details, but I knew that I had been here before, and I had not been alone either.

I was standing in a meadow, surrounded by verdant beauty, sprinkled here and there with tiny flowers in shades of blue, of yellow, and of red and orange. There was a blanket lying on the grass, and somehow I knew that it had been placed there for me, so I knelt upon it and waited for someone to appear, for someone who would explain things to me, hopefully my beloved, but she was not the one who approached me.

I heard her giggling before I saw her and my heart seemed to skip a step in its rhythm when I saw the little girl wearing a pink dress, with her dark hair in pigtails, which bounced this way and that while she chased butterflies. She almost had one in her grasp, her tiny hand was reaching out to grab it, but then she spotted me kneeling upon the blanket, and a smile took hold of her and lit up her face and before I knew what was what she was running over to greet me…by throwing her arms around my neck and pressing her lips against my cheek.

I told myself that this was not possible, I tried to convince myself that I was hallucinating, but I knew that this place was real, and I knew that this child was real as well, even if I had first made her acquaintance in a dream. It was as if those memories had come to life, in this place, and in her as well, and I decided that I was going to accept what I saw and felt as the truth, no matter how much reason might have wished to speak against it.

I hesitantly raised my arms from my sides and clasped her close against me, closing my eyes as I breathed in the scent of her hair. It was a bouquet that was very familiar to me, one that brought to mind the woman that I loved, and I pulled away from the little one just enough to afford me a glimpse of her face…and of the big brown eyes that were identical to the ones that had mesmerized me from the moment I had first indulged myself with a plunge into their depths, into the life that lay behind them, and my breath caught on a sob when it dawned on me who this child was, who she belonged to, who she had been born to.

"Do you know who I am now?" she whispered, placing her hands on my cheeks and rubbing them back and forth, almost as if she was petting the beard that covered them. "Can you finally see me?"

I did know her, I could see my Malayna all throughout her, and I suffered a brief, but agonizing stab of jealousy, when it occurred to me that my beloved had taken my advice after all, that she had met someone new, and bore his child…but then it dawned on me that the girl's age made it nearly impossible for some faceless, worthless piece of detritus to have fathered her. My heartbeat accelerated as I stared at this child, as I studied her, and wondered, and then I slowly began to smile.

"What is your name, little one?" I asked softly, raising my hands to cover hers and hold them tightly against my cheeks.

"Maelie Eira Rhys," she said in a tone that was almost shy in nature. "Maelie is for my Mommy's mother, and Eira and Rhys are for my Daddy's mother."

Well, it seems that I was mistaken when I believed that my heart was pounding before, because what I had felt before had nothing whatsoever on what I was feeling at that moment. Eira Rhys was my mother, and that meant that I was the Daddy that Maelie was speaking of. I could not say with any certainty that Malayna had not moved on with her life since our daughter had been born, but I could not obsess on that at the moment, because there was so much more that I would rather think about.

"And who am I, little one?" I asked, then nearly protested aloud as she moved back away from me, until I saw her take hold of a heart shaped locket that was hanging from a delicate gold chain around her neck. She opened it, and held it out to me, so that I could look at the picture inside of it, a portrait that I had not posed for, but which I was part of none the less.

"That's my Mommy, isn't she pretty?" she asked, pointing to the familiar and beloved face of the one that I cherished, that I adored, and I nodded, even though pretty was not quite adequate enough to describe my Malayna. "And that's me, of course," she said, giggling as she pointed to herself, a likeness that looked to be no more than a half a year out of date, at the very most. "And this is you, my Daddy, Ifan Rhys," she said softly, lovingly, as she traced her tiny fingertip over my pencil drawn visage. "Mommy had this made for me as a Christmas present, and it was just what I wanted, well, just what I wanted if I couldn't have you back home, that is."

I had to admit that it was nice to know that I was loved, as a matter of fact, I would have to say that it was one of the best feelings that I had ever known, though it still took some getting used to. Malayna had been the one to open that door for me, and now I not only had her, but I had my mother and my daughter as well. I may even have had my Uncle George, I was fairly certain that he loved me, and it had come as a pleasant surprise for me to realize how much it changed my perspective on life, just knowing that there were those who had loved me, and who did love me, and I knew, without question, that it was something that I could grow quite comfortable and content with, something that I would never grow tired of, that I would hold fast to and guard with my life, until the day that I died.

"You told me that I could not come back, once I started down that road, but you did not mean that I would die, did you, sweetheart?" I asked, capturing her close in my arms once more and pressing my nose against her crown. "You meant that the man that I had been would be gone forever, and I had to know that there was no bringing him back. I had to choose to leave him in the past, did I not? Was that not what you meant when you told me that?"

She leaned back to smile at me, then she nodded and snuggled close to me once more. I realized that I would have been happy to stay that way for a good long while, and that surprised me. I had never been given many opportunities in my life to be close with another being, and certainly not affectionate, but I was quickly becoming accustomed to the notion of that sort of life with this little girl…though, I could not help but feel a noticeable anxiety to be close to her mother once more as well.

"I know that you are not here all alone, are you, little one?" I asked, glancing around the grounds for a sight of my beloved, but she was nowhere to be found. "Where is your Mommy at, Maelie?"

She pointed over her shoulder, in the direction that I had just looked, just a little further out. "She'll be back in just a minute. She had to say goodbye to Grandpa Jimmy and Uncle John before we could have our lunch."

Oh, joy…_Grandpa_ Jimmy, hmm? Who would have ever thought that Malayna would embrace James Gordon as a father figure? I suppose it made sense, after all, she would have needed help, what with me leaving her alone and pregnant with my child…just like my father had done with my mother. I allowed my mind to mire itself in dark thoughts, but only for a moment, because I knew, in my heart, that I was not like my father. I had not wanted to leave Malayna, nor had I known that she carried my child, and there was a small part of me that was grateful to the police commissioner for stepping in to support my beloved in her time of need.

That being said, I was more than a little certain that he would not be too pleased with the news that I was back in Malayna's life. He might even do his best to find a way to force me away from her, and from my daughter, but I had made up my mind to be with my family, there was no other place where I belonged, where I wanted to be, and he was going to have one hell of a fight on his hands if he tried to keep them from me. I was a selfish man, I wanted what was mine, and there was nothing that would deter me from the path that I had set for myself, save, perhaps, for the mysterious 'Uncle John'.

"Do you see Grandpa Jimmy and Uncle John very often?" I asked, striving for a tone that was nonchalant and failing miserably.

"Sure I do," she said, smoothing my hair back from my face. "We all live together in one house, so I see them both every day. They're going to pick up my Auntie Babs from college, so that she can spend a couple of weeks visiting us, and they won't be home until Monday."

It was good news that they were both gone, but it certainly was not good news that they lived with my girls. I could understand the Commissioner doing so, if he had taken the place of Malayna's father, but from what I knew, women usually instructed their children to call the man in their life "Uncle", until the moment arrived when he became "Daddy". Of course, there was a possibility that 'Auntie Babs' might have been romantically linked to 'Uncle John', but it would be just my luck if she was his sister instead.

"Does your Mommy love Uncle John?" I asked, wincing when I heard the strained sound of my voice, the one that left no doubt whatsoever about the fact that I was starting to get upset…and that was putting it mildly, to say the least.

"Oh, sure, she loves him a lot," my daughter said, reaching out with one finger, to smooth the wisps of my beard away from my lips, lips, which I noticed, bore a good deal of resemblance to hers. I had not noticed that at first, I had just seen full lips and assumed that they were shaped like Malayna's, but they were not, they looked like mine instead. "And he loves her too."

Damn it.

"Do they hug and kiss one another?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm, and to place a smile on my face, so that I would not scare my child.

"All of the time," she confirmed, drawing back and looking at me with concern and bewilderment in her eyes when she heard the growl that moved up and out of me before I could stifle it. "Don't people always hug and kiss when they love each other, Daddy?"

Yes, I suppose that they did, but that did not make me feel any better about the fact that Malayna was doing so with this _Uncle_ John, did it? There was another topic that needed discussing, one that would determine, once and for all, whether or not I still had a chance of rekindling the flame with my beloved, but I hesitated to say anything to Maelie, because it was not a proper conversation for a man to be having with his young daughter, until I realized that I had no other choice, not if I wanted to know, once and for all, what my chances were.

"Do they, ahem, well, that is, what I mean to say, is, does your Mommy sleep in the same bed as Uncle John?"

My daughter drew back her head and wrinkled her nose, and then she laughed at me. "Of course not, silly," she said, as if she believed that I was not all that bright. "She sleeps in her own bed, in her own room. Why would she share a bed with Uncle John anyway? A Mommy sleeps in the same bed as her husband, not with her brother. Uncle John's not her real brother, but he loves her like a brother, and that would be kind of weird, wouldn't it, Daddy?"

Well, that was a relief, so much so that I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling my body deflate with each little burst of air that left my mouth. I still did not know who this mystery man was, but I could rest a little easier, knowing that he was not Malayna's lover. There was a great deal that I could live with, but not that, that was just too much…..

"Maelie!" a familiar voice shouted in the distance. "Maelie, where are you?"

She sounded concerned and just a little bit irritated and it was a tone that brought a lot of fond memories to my mind. I had always enjoyed needling her just a little, because I had always liked the way that her eyes had caught fire as her temper rose, and that was the image that came to mind as I caught the first sight of her, in the distance, stopping for just an instant when she noticed me standing next to her daughter, to _our_ daughter, and then she started to rush toward us, moving faster and faster, while she shouted orders to Maelie.

"Maelie Eira Rhys, you come here right this second!" she ordered, moving into a run as she crossed the park, her worry translating into threats as she came closer and closer. "I don't know who you are, or what you want, but you won't live to tell me your business if you don't move away from my daughter _right now_!"

_Our_ daughter started to giggle, and I started to smile, and then to laugh, even though I knew that it was unwise to do so, lest Malayna see me, and make me even more of a target for her mounting rage and ire. "Don't be scared Mommy!" Maelie shouted back, cupping her hands around her mouth, so that her voice would carry. "I told you he would come back to us; didn't I tell you he wouldn't leave us forever and ever, Mommy?"

I looked at my daughter, bewildered as to why she was behaving in a way that suggested that her mother could hear her…and then Malayna answered her, and my confusion turned to wonder as it dawned on me that she _could_ hear her. She was close enough now that she did not have to use her hands to project her voice as Maelie had done, her voice carried quite well all on its own.

"I'm not scared, I am angry!" she fired back, legs pumping, breasts bouncing while she shortened the distance between us. "Haven't I told you time and time again to stay away from strangers? Why must you always insist on being rebellious….?"

Her voice softened, and died away as she got closer and got a better look at me. I smiled at her, unsure of what I ought to do or say, even though I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to say. We stayed just as we were for a moment or two, and time seemed to stand still, then she was running toward me and launching herself into my arms, nearly knocking me off of my feet in the process, winding her legs around my waist while she pressed kisses all over my face.

"Is it really you?" she asked, taking my face between her palms and rubbing her cheeks, first one and then the other, against my beard. "Maelie always told me that you were alive, that you would come back, and I hoped and I prayed, but I never dared to allow myself to accept that everything would be alright, but here you are…you've come back to me, you've come back to _us_."

I pulled her close, breathing in her scent, shuddering as it washed over me, a trembling that grew as I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her for the first time in what felt like an eternity. I kept things as modest as I possibly could, for Maelie's sake, but I could not keep all of the hunger at bay. I had to part her lips just a little with my tongue; I had to taste her, even if only for a moment, while I held her as tightly as I could. It was enough, it would last me until later…though I would be counting the seconds, every excruciating one, until I could reacquaint myself with her in every way that I wanted.

"It is me, my dear Malayna," I murmured, kissing away the tears that had coursed down to sparkle on her cheeks. "I wish that I could have been with you sooner, but I came back just as soon as I could. I cannot make amends for the pain that I have caused you, I wish that I could, but I cannot. All that I can do is promise that I will never hurt you again….."

"Shush," she said, pressing her fingertip to my mouth, smiling at me, then at our daughter, then me again. "Say my name again, please. I've waited for so long to hear your voice and I want to hear you say my name….."

I smiled at her in return, and kissed her fingertip. "Malayna," I whispered, looking down at my child, to see if she was watching, shrugging when I saw that she was, and then I went ahead and licked the pad of her mother's finger. "My lovely Malayna, I am finally home."

She blushed and ducked her head, then slowly raised her eyes to meet mine and smiled in that way that seemed to reach into my chest and grab hold of my heart. "Hmm…just as I thought," she whispered, standing on tiptoe, so that she could kiss me, lingering for a blissful moment, and then pulling back away from me, though she soothed the ache that I felt from the loss by twining her fingers with mine. "You have a very enticing voice; did you know that, my love?"

Malayna's POV

It was a joy to share the picnic lunch with him, to return home and make dinner for him, then to sit down at the dining room table, the three of us a family, just as I'd always wanted us to be. I'd never allowed myself to give up hope, because having Maelie had shown me that there was always the potential for happiness, but I'd never truly believed that I would get him back, that I'd be given another chance with him. Our daughter had always held onto that hope, and it was even more than that with her, it was a faith that she'd had, an unshaken belief, and now he was back, he was home…I wondered how that was going to sit with James and John?

His actions at the hangar had changed the light in which he was held, not only with Jimmy and John, but with all of Gotham as well, once they'd been told the truth, so there wouldn't be any repercussions to be paid for the actions of his past. That being said, I had a pretty good idea that my adoptive family wouldn't be as accepting of his absence as I was, but they were just going to have to learn to deal with it, weren't they? I'd survived as best as I could without him for five long years, and I wasn't going to live without him any longer, and neither was Maelie. Our family was finally complete and the others were just going to have to get used to that, whether they liked it or not.

I hovered in the doorway of Maelie's room and listened to him read her to sleep. I never realized how beautiful and lyrical _Goodnight Moon_ could sound, but that was because I'd never heard it read in my beloved's voice. I lingered throughout the entire story, and then watched, with tears in my eyes, as he bent and kissed her on her forehead, and then I hurried to my bedroom, to wait for him in my bed, in _our_ bed.

I always removed my cochlear implants when I went to sleep, and I knew that I would have to before I closed my eyes and settled in for the night, but I left them right where they were for the time being. I'd heard him say my name all throughout the day, but I wanted to hear it again, and, even more than that, I wanted to hear each noise that he made while he loved me. I'd felt the sounds rising from him in the past, but now I wanted to hear them as well. I wanted to savor each and every one of them and file them away in my memory, I wanted…..

My thoughts trailed away as he opened the door and entered the room. His eyes traveled the length of my body, swathed in the sexiest nightgown that I could rustle up on such late notice, a plain white t-shirt that was three sizes too big for me. I would have liked to have greeted him naked as a newborn babe, but I didn't have the nerve, not with the lights on, which would emphasize the light stretch marks on my tummy, which hadn't been there the last time that we'd made love. Odds were good that he wouldn't care, that they wouldn't deter him in the least, but I was still too self-conscious to risk it.

"May I come in?" he asked, staying just as he was until I nodded, and patted my hand against the bed, forcing myself to remain cool and calm and collected, when what I really wanted, more than anything, was to grab hold of him and throw him onto the bed.

He slowly removed his clothing, bit by bit, until he was gloriously bared to my gaze and I greedily took in the sight of him, concentrating a little more of my attention here and there, until he slid onto the bed and took me into his arms. I saw how his hands were shaking and it touched me, and made a tiny quiver shimmy about in my tummy. They calmed somewhat when he pressed them against my back, then even more as he kissed me, and his fingers twined into the softness of my t-shirt.

"I love you, Malayna," he whispered, and then he kissed me again. "I have missed you so very much, my dear."

"I love you too," I whispered back, luxuriating in the way that my heart was smiling. "We'll never be apart again."

* * *

Our hands were clenched together, rhythmic clutching of palms and fingers as he slowly made his entrance. I felt like it was the first time, and it hurt just a little, but it felt amazing as well, it was stirring and it was consuming and it was something that I had missed so much, that I had dreamed of, and I let loose with a loud whimper and raised my hips against him, welcoming him completely.

"Oh, Malayna," he moaned, lowering his face to my neck, to press his lips against my throat. "I never forgot this…I dreamed of this…it has been so long."

There it was, there was that voice, and just like that my passion grew, it heightened and made me shiver. I twined my legs around his waist and answered his moan with one of my own as he started to move faster, with more determination, drawing a groan, and a whimper from me, sounds that he echoed as his palms stole beneath me and took me firmly in hand, raising me, filling me…completing me.

* * *

He'd said that he loved me when his moment arrived. He'd shouted the words, along with my name, and then he presented me with a whispered litany of endearments and promises in a voice that was a sated and happy rasp as we drifted off to sleep. He held me close in his arms and gave himself over into slumber, and only then did I remove the implants that helped me to hear.

I settled against my pillow, warm and safe and blissfully happy and for the first time in years, five to be exact, I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Ifan was back in my life, he was in Maelie's for the first time, our family was complete at last and all was right with the world…who could ask for anything more than that?

~The End~

*Thank you to everyone who has read and supported this story…you guys are the best!*

Songs and Quotes That Inspired the Chapter Titles For Hear No Evil

1…..The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel

2….. The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel

3…..A re-worked quote by Suzanne Finnamore

4…..Oh My God by P!nk, featuring Peaches

5…..Point Of No Return from The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack

6….. Between The Devil and Me by Alan Jackson

7…..Forever Young by Audra Mae

8…..I Only Want to Be With You by Dusty Springfield

9…..A re-worked quote by Phish

10….. Can't Take My Eyes off You by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

11…..Part of a quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson

12…..You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man) by Loretta Lynn

13….. Point Of No Return from The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack

14…..The Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack

15…..Part of a quote by Martin Luther

16…..Demons by Imagine Dragons

17…..Bird On a Wire by Katey Sagal & the Forest Rangers

18…..Love Rescue Me by U2

19…..A re-worked quote by Mary Renault

20…..The Parting Glass by The Wailin' Jennys

21…..This one belongs to me, Dear Reader

22…..Starlight by The Wailin' Jennys

23…..Demons by Imagine Dragons

24…..It's A Sin by Pet Shop Boys

25….. Demons by Imagine Dragons

26…..Down With The Sickness by Disturbed

27….. Holy Bible, NIV, Genesis 4:6-7

28…..Possibility by Lykke Li

29….. Demons by Imagine Dragons

30…..Like A Prayer by Madonna


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